Sweden could join new Nato force

Sweden could break with tradition and contribute to Nato's new rapid-reaction force, which was given the go-ahead at the Riga summit on Wednesday.



The nature of Sweden's possible involvement in the Nato Response Force (NRF) is still unclear. However, the foundation for the increasingly close cooperation is Sweden's undertaking to lead the EU's Nordic battlegroup.

The Nato military alliance will soon invite Sweden to participate in the force, claimed newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. Defence minister Mikael Odenberg said that there is reason "to try this in positive spirit".

However, the leader of the Left Party, Lars Ohly, criticised Sweden's growing relationship with Nato.

He said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to remain outside and that this was the point of the offer.

"We should not join, we should seek other alternatives," said Ohly to SvD.

The established Nato countries said at the Riga summit that the NRF, the brainchild of former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is ready for action. 25,000 troops will be committed to the force, which has taken four years to organise.