Latest news with #PalJonson
Al Arabiya
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Sweden will contribute to new Ukraine arms shipment plans, defense minister says
Sweden will contribute to efforts to boost arms supplies to Ukraine following US President Donald Trump's decision to supply billions of dollars of weapons, including Patriot missile systems, via NATO. 'We welcome the American decision to make possible increased sanctions against Russia and to pave the way for the delivery of Patriots and other weapon systems to Ukraine,' Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said in an emailed comment to Reuters. Jonson did not provide further details about the support.
Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Sweden will contribute to new Ukraine arms shipment plans, defence minister says
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Sweden's Minister of Defence Pal Jonson attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the eve of a NATO defence ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo STOCKHOLM - Sweden will contribute to efforts to boost arms supplies to Ukraine following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to supply billions of dollars of weapons, including Patriot missile systems, via NATO. "We welcome the American decision to make possible increased sanctions against Russia and to pave the way for the delivery of Patriots and other weapon systems to Ukraine," Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said in an emailed comment to Reuters. "Sweden will contribute." Jonson did not provide further about the support, REUTERS
SBS Australia
15-07-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
A 70-year-old soldier? Sweden mulls lifting age of conscription amid officer shortage
Sweden is considering calling up former officers as old as 70 to active duty as it seeks to ensure its military is prepared in times of crisis, its defence minister said. The proposal is among several options suggested by an inquiry that the government ordered in 2024, the year the country joined NATO, to look at how Sweden's expanding armed forces would be assured of personnel in a conflict. Presenting the results of the government probe, defence minister Pal Jonson told a press conference on Tuesday AEST that the Nordic country of 10.5 million people faced "serious times". "This means that we are now making very significant investments in the military defence," Jonson told reporters. Sweden also needed to make sure that enough military personnel would be available in a crisis. The government inquiry suggested raising the age that former military officers could be recalled to active duty to 70, from the current 47. It also proposed removing a limit on military deployment for former conscripts. Currently, "deployment duty" remains for a maximum of 10 years after the most recent military service, but the inquiry suggested scrapping this limit and instead placing those who hadn't served for 10 years or more into the Swedish Armed Forces' reserve force. Jonson said the proposals would be sent out for review, hoping to present a bill to parliament early next year. After the Cold War ended in 1991, Sweden drastically slashed its defence spending as it focused its military efforts on international peacekeeping missions. But it reversed course following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, and started increasing military expenditure. In March, the government announced it would increase defence spending by about 300 billion krona ($47 billion) over the next decade, aiming to increase spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.
Express Tribune
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Sweden mulls calling up 70-year-old officers for military service
Sweden is considering calling up former officers as old as 70 to active duty as it seeks to ensure its military is prepared in times of crisis, the defence minister said on Monday. The proposal is among several options suggested by an inquiry that the government ordered in 2024, the year the country joined NATO, to look at how Sweden's expanding armed forces would be assured of personnel in a conflict. Sweden broke two centuries of military non-alignment to join NATO in the aftermath of Russia's 2022 full-scaled invasion of Ukraine, which sparked alarm in Stockholm and Finland that Moscow could eventually threaten them. Presenting the results of the government probe, Defence Minister Pal Jonson told a press conference on Monday that the Nordic country of 10.5 million people faced "serious times". "This means that we are now making very significant investments in the military defence," Jonson told reporters. In addition to investing in equipment already underway, Sweden also needed to make sure that enough military personnel would be available in a crisis. The government probe suggested raising the age that former military officers could be recalled to active duty to 70, from the current 47.
Perth Now
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Sweden mulls extending military conscription age to 70
Sweden should raise former officers' upper conscription age limit to 70 from 47, a government-appointed review suggests, as part of the country's moves to strengthen its defence in the face of a deteriorating security environment. "The Swedish Armed Forces' need for officers justifies an extended military service duration that should apply, regardless of the state of alert, to those who were previously employed as professional officers or reserve officers," investigators said in their review. The change, if approved, would mean that former officers aged up to 70 could be recalled to military service in case of need. Sweden has rethought its security doctrine due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, joining the NATO military alliance in 2024. Having already doubled defence spending since 2020 to 2.4 per cent of GDP, it has launched a big push that will take it to 3.5 per cent by 2032. The country had already reintroduced partial conscription for men and women in 2017, due to a more uncertain security situation. It has said priorities will be expanding the size and capabilities of the army, air defence and increasing stocks of ammunition. A lack of personnel, above all army officers and specialists, has long been seen as a key bottleneck. "We are making very large investments now in military defence. Much of the focus has been on strengthened materiel supply, Defence Minister Pal Jonson told a press conference on Monday. "But we will also need to continue working to strengthen the Armed Forces' personnel supply," he said.
