Ulf Kristersson

Sweden’s PM on whether NATO can depend on Trump | The Economist

Trump, Ulf Kristersson, David Rennie

Sweden's strategic pivot to NATO membership alongside a pragmatic dual-track approach with the United States reduces its historical reliance on Washington by prioritizing regional cooperation and challenging U.S. policies when they conflict with core values. This shift, driven by a "trust deficit" in global defense markets, has inadvertently positioned Swedish firms like Saab as viable alternatives to American suppliers, with active negotiations for Gripen jets in Canada and broader diversification efforts to avoid "American kill switches." Ultimately, decades of domestic military investment now serve as a strategic buffer, enabling Stockholm to advocate for orderly burden-sharing while spreading security dependencies across multiple international providers.