Sweden

UPDATED: Russia says it will beef up forces near western border

May 20 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that moves by Finland and Sweden to join NATO were part of an increase in military threats near Russia's western borders, and it was taking "adequate countermeasures". In a speech, Shoigu also…

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Turkey has told allies it’s a ‘no’ to Sweden and Finland’s NATO bid – Erdogan

Turkey has told allies that it will reject Sweden and Finland's membership to NATO, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a video posted on his Twitter account on Thursday. Finland and…

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UPDATED: Turkeys Erdogan links Sweden NATO bid to return of “terrorists”

ANKARA, May 18 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Sweden should not expect Turkey to approve its NATO bid without returning "terrorists", and Swedish and Finnish delegations should not come to…

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Erdogan says Swedish, Finnish delegations should not bother coming to Turkey

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Swedish and Finnish delegations should not bother coming to Ankara to convince it to approve their NATO bid. Sweden's government has formally…

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UPDATED: Putin warns Finland and Sweden any military expansion ‘would demand a reaction’

Vladimir Putin said Russia had no issue with Finland and Sweden, but that the expansion of military infrastructure on their territory would demand a reaction from Moscow, as the Nordic…

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Sweden to try to overcome Turkish objections to its NATO bid

STOCKHOLM, May 16 (Reuters) - Sweden will send diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome Ankara's objections to its plan to join NATO, Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said, with a…

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Sweden, Finland NATO membership would increase Baltic security – Estonia

BERLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - Sweden and Finland joining NATO would increase the security of the Baltic region, Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets said. "When we see that in our neighbourhood also other democratic…

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Sweden’s ruling party poised to back NATO bid

STOCKHOLM, May 15 (Reuters) - Sweden's ruling Social Democrats were poised on Sunday to come out in favour of the country joining NATO, paving the way for an application soon…

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UPDATED: Finnish president confirms his country will apply to join NATO

HELSINKI, May 15 (Reuters) - Finland's President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Sunday that his country would apply for membership of the NATO military alliance. The announcement came after Niinisto and Prime Minister…

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Russian fighter jets take part in Baltic Sea drills as support grows for Finnish and Swedish NATO membership

Russian Su-27 fighter jets have taken part in drills to repel a mock air strike on Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Baltic Sea fleet.…

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EXCLUSIVE-Turkey ‘not closing door’ to Sweden, Finland NATO entry, Erdogan advisor says

ISTANBUL, May 14 (Reuters) - Turkey has not shut the door to Sweden and Finland joining NATO but wants negotiations with the Nordic countries and a clampdown on what it sees as…

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Italy strongly backs Finland-Sweden bid to join NATO

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 13 - Italy strongly backs Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday. "We…

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Moscow will respond if NATO moves nuclear forces closer to Russia’s border – RIA

May 14 (Reuters) - Moscow will take adequate precautionary measures if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure closer to Russia's border, RIA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying…

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FACTBOX-A brief history of Finland’s and Sweden’s strained ties with Russia

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) - Finland and Sweden, who are expected to decide to apply to join NATO, have long had strained ties with their giant neighbour Russia. - Sweden's and Finland's difficult past with…

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Erdogan says Turkey not positive on Finland, Sweden joining NATO

ANKARA, May 13 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday it was not possible for NATO-member Turkey to support plans by Sweden and Finland to join the pact, saying the Nordic countries…

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Swedish inflation surges to new high in April

STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Swedish headline inflation surged higher in April as the lingering effects of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine pushed up prices across the board, figures published…

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A look at Finland and Sweden’s path to NATO membership

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have been considering applying for membership of the NATO military alliance, which would mark a major policy shift for…

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Russia warns West over risk of conflict with NATO

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - One of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies warned the West on Thursday that the increasing military support given to Ukraine by the United States and its allies…

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Sweden plans to send NATO application next week

STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Sweden's government plans to submit an application to join NATO next week, following neighbour Finland in re-writing its post-World War Two security policy in the…

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Factbox: Probable steps in any Finnish, Swedish NATO bid

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is expected on Thursday to say whether his country should join the NATO alliance, with Sweden following suit with its decision in the coming days. Russia's…

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NATO chief says alliance will increase presence in Baltic sea if Sweden applies

NATO will increase it's presence around Sweden's borders and in the Baltic sea while a potential application to join the alliance is processed, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Swedish public…

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U.S. offers assurances to Sweden, Finland over NATO application

The United States is confident it can address any security concerns Sweden and Finland may have about the period of time after they apply for NATO membership and before they…

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Sweden says it received U.S. security assurances if it hands in NATO application

Sweden has received assurances from the United States that it would receive support during the period a potential application to join NATO is processed by the 30 nations in the…

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Russian spy plane violates Swedish air space

A Russian reconnaissance plane briefly violated Sweden’s airspace on Friday, Swedish defense officials said, as the Scandinavian country ponders a bid for NATO membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“A Russian…

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Sweden to strengthen military infrastructure on Gotland

STOCKHOLM, April 29 (Reuters) - Sweden's government said on Friday it had put aside up to 1.6 billion Swedish crowns ($163 million) to strengthen its military infrastructure on the strategically important island of Gotland…

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Finland, Sweden could deepen military cooperation if situation worsens

Sweden and Finland could deepen military cooperation if security in the Baltic Sea region worsens, for example during the process of a possible application to join NATO, Finland's foreign minister…

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Swedish PM rejects referendum on possible NATO membership

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden’s government does not plan to hold a referendum if its parliament decides to proceed with an application for NATO membership, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on…

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Finland and Sweden could join NATO quickly, Stoltenberg says

Finland and Sweden will be able to join NATO quickly should they decide to ask for membership in the Western military alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday (April…

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Finland, Sweden to begin NATO application in May, say local media reports

Finland and Sweden will together express their wish to join NATO in May, tabloid newspapers Iltalehti in Finland and Expressen in Sweden reported, citing sources close to the matter. Despite…

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Canada would be supportive of Sweden and Finland joining NATO -PM Trudeau

Canada would support including Sweden and Finland in the NATO military alliance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted both countries to consider joining. "Conversations…

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Opinion poll shows growing majority of Swedes back joining NATO

STOCKHOLM, April 20 (Reuters) - A growing majority of Swedes are in favour of joining NATO, a poll showed on Wednesday, as policy-makers in both Sweden and Finland weigh…

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Photo Story: Violent protest in Malmo, Sweden

Riot police on site while a city bus burns on Vastra Kattarpsvagen on Rosengard in Malmo, Sweden, 17 April 2022. The unrest in Malmo has continued after Rasmus Paludan, party…

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Swedish inflation highest since early 1990s in March

STOCKHOLM, April 14 (Reuters) - Headline inflation hit its highest level in more than three decades in March as the war in Ukraine pushed up food and fuel prices, data showed on…

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UPDATED: Finland says needs to prepare for changes on Russia border

HELSINKI, April 13 (Reuters) - Finland should prepare for possible changes on its Russia border, although the military situation there currently remains calm, Defence Minister Atti Kaikkonen said on Wednesday. Russia's invasion…

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Finland, Sweden set to join NATO as soon as summer – reports

Russia has made a "massive strategic blunder" as Finland and Sweden look poised to join NATO as early as the summer, the British press has reported on Monday, citing officials. London-based The Times said…

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Sweden Democrats leader wants party to change on NATO membership if Finland applies to join alliance

STOCKHOLM, April 9 (Reuters) - The leader of Sweden's second-biggest opposition party will, should neighbour Finland apply to join NATO, suggest that his party change its stance towards favouring a…

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Prospect of Finland, Sweden joining NATO discussed at NATO meeting -U.S. official

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The prospect of Finland and Sweden joining NATO was part of the discussion between foreign ministers from the military alliance in Brussels this week, a senior U.S. State Department…

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NATO chief says Finland, Sweden welcome to apply to join

NATO would quickly welcome Finland and Sweden into its ranks with open arms if they decided to apply, the military alliance’s top civilian official said Wednesday, as Russia’s war on…

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Neutral Sweden, Finland join NATO drills as countries consider membership

The sound of gunfire echoed around the Norwegian fjords as a row of Swedish and Finnish soldiers, positioned prone behind banks of snow, trained rifles and missile launchers on nearby…

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Factbox: Sweden or Austria as military model for Ukraine neutrality

Ukraine could become a non-aligned or neutral state like Sweden or Austria, Russia said on Wednesday, as it seeks a compromise with Kyiv to end three weeks of war. Here…

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UK to host Baltic, Nordic leaders to find new ways to isolate Russia

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host leaders from countries along Russia's northwestern flank to discuss ways they can respond to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, including finding new…

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Swedish wind power generation to rise 70% by 2024 – agency

OSLO, March 14 (Reuters) - Wind power generation in Sweden is expected to increase by some 70% by 2024 compared with last year's level amid a boom in capacity additions, the Swedish…

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Sweden expects 76,000 Ukrainian refugees in coming months, Over 109,000 refugees registered in Germany so far

STOCKHOLM, March 11 (Reuters) - Sweden's main scenario is to receive 76,000 Ukrainian refugees in coming months in the wake of Russia's invasion, Sweden's Migration Agency said on Friday. The agency said…

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Swedish PM vows to raise military spending substantially

STOCKHOLM, March 10 (Reuters) - Sweden's defence needs to be increased significantly as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has seen the security situation in Europe deteriorate, the government said on Thursday,…

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Applying to join NATO would destabilize security situation, Swedish PM says

A Swedish application to join NATO would destabilize the current security situation in Europe, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Tuesday. "If Sweden were to choose to send in…

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Sweden and Finland to further strengthen security cooperation

Sweden and Finland will further strengthen their security cooperation in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the prime ministers of both countries said on Saturday, but they were non-committal on…

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Majority of Swedes in favour of joining NATO -poll

STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) - A majority of Swedes are in favour of joining NATO, a poll showed , with Russia's invasion of Ukraine spurring a rapid shift in attitudes in a country long…

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UPDATED: Four Russian fighter jets briefly enter Swedish territory

Four Russian fighter jets briefly entered Swedish territory over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, the Swedish Armed Forces said, sparking a swift condemnation from Sweden's defence minister. Two Russian SU27…

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Commission finds Sweden should have clamped down harder as COVID hit

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden should have adopted tougher early measures and the government assumed clearer leadership as COVID-19 hit, though the mostly voluntary no-lockdown strategy was broadly correct, a commission…

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Sweden recommends fourth COVID-19 jab for the elderly

STOCKHOLM, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Sweden's Health Agency recommended on Monday that people aged 80 or above should receive a second booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine, the fourth jab in…

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EU refers Malta, Poland, Spain, Sweden, UK to EU court

BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it was referring Malta, Poland, Spain, Sweden and former EU member Britain to the European Court of Justice related…

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Sweden ends COVID-19 testing as pandemic restrictions lifted

Sweden has halted wide-scale testing for COVID-19 even among people showing symptoms of an infection, putting an end to the mobile city-square tent sites, drive-in swab centers and home-delivered tests…

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Sweden to lift pandemic restrictions next week

STOCKHOLM, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Sweden will lift pandemic restrictions next week despite record levels of infections as it banks on booster shots and high rates of past COVID-19 infections…

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Swedish economy surges in Q4 despite Omicron wave

STOCKHOLM, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Sweden's economy grew more than expected in the fourth quarter, expanding 1.4% from the previous three months and 6.2% from the same quarter a year…

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Sweden to cut taxes on petrol, diesel as prices soar

STOCKHOLM, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Sweden's government said on Thursday it had asked parliament to approve plans to cut taxes on petrol and diesel amid a surge in energy prices…

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Sweden extends pandemic curbs by two weeks amid record Omicron spread

STOCKHOLM, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Sweden will extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks, the minister for health said on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant is spreading at…

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Sweden scraps demand for negative COVID test to enter country

Travelers to Sweden will no longer be required to show a negative COVID test before entering the country, the government said on Tuesday. Sweden introduced rules for a recent negative COVID test on Dec. 28 last year…

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