Sweden will follow through on its plans to send troops to Latvia as part of the deployment of NATO forces in the Baltic states, which share land borders with Russia and its ally Belarus. This was stated by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, quoted by "Reuters".
"This morning the government made an official decision to entrust the armed forces with the task of preparing the Swedish contribution to the battalion," he announced at a press conference with his Latvian counterpart Evika Silina.
According to him, the goal is to have these forces operational from the beginning of next year.
Sweden will provide Leopard armored vehicles and tanks.
The Scandinavian country joined NATO last month. It became the 32nd member of the alliance after abandoning its decade-long military non-alignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Even before joining, Sweden said it aimed to contribute a reduced mechanized battalion to the NATO deployment in Latvia as early as 2025, but the final decision awaited NATO membership.
Sweden's armed forces have announced that the country may deploy around 600 soldiers in Latvia.