HELSINKI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has emphasized the need to strengthen what he termed a "European NATO," arguing that European allies should assume greater responsibility for their own security, according to local media reports.
In an interview with Swedish Television (SVT) late Sunday, Kristersson said the United States had "acted in a way that has damaged mutual trust," adding that Europe must therefore "take control of our own situation and strengthen ourselves." He stressed that this effort should be done through closer cooperation with European NATO partners.
Kristersson noted that NATO is often associated primarily with the United States, but European members constitute the backbone of security cooperation in Northern and wider Europe.
"The whole of our part of Europe is embedded in close cooperation within NATO. We must build our European NATO," he said.
Kristersson also said there are "active discussions" with Britain and France about nuclear weapons capability, though he didn't give further details. He said Sweden is taking part "via NATO" in European discussions related to nuclear deterrence.
Kristersson's remarks come amid heightened debate over European security, partly prompted by U.S. ambitions regarding Greenland. In Sweden, calls to strengthen Europe's defense posture have gained momentum. According to the SVT report, Oscar Jonsson, an associate senior lecturer at the Swedish Defense University, said that while continued cooperation within NATO remains in Sweden's interest, the country should consider alternatives to NATO. ■