Sweden called for the deployment of NATO bases in the country.

The Swedish Liberal Party advocated the permanent deployment of NATO bases in the country after the kingdom joined the alliance, party leader Johan Persson said on Sveriges Radio.

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“I think it should be clear that this is a way to strengthen the security of the Swedish people in a situation where the outside world can pose a very serious threat to Sweden,” he said.

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“Now we will have a completely different task in our part of the world, in our part of NATO. This will mean, in our opinion, the need for permanent NATO bases,” Person added, mentioning that Sweden and NATO “have been partners” since 1990- x years.

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Person also spoke in favor of maintaining the presence of NATO forces on the territory of the country in peacetime, motivating his words by saying that “freedom must be defended.”

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Sweden, as well as Finland, amid the events in Ukraine in May 2022, applied to join the alliance. Finland became the 31st member of NATO on 4 April. Sweden’s application has not yet received final Hungarian and Turkish approval.