Cleverly to renew UK backing for Sweden’s Nato bid during visit

The Foreign Secretary will renew UK backing for Sweden’s bid to join Nato during a visit to the country this week.

James Cleverly insisted accession “must happen as soon as possible” to “make us all safer” ahead of travelling to Gotland, a strategically important island just 200 miles north of Kaliningrad – home to Russia’s Baltic Fleet.

It comes amid objections from Turkey which have slowed down the process for Swedish membership.

Turkey’s government claims Sweden has been lenient towards groups it says pose a security threat, including militant Kurdish groups and others linked to a 2016 coup attempt.

Nato wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time the leaders of member nations meet for a summit in Lithuania in July.

During his visit, Mr Cleverly will meet Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom and hold a discussion on European security as part of Almedalen Week, an annual event on Gotland.

Ahead of the trip, he said: “The UK and Sweden relationship goes back over a thousand years and plays an ever more pivotal role in European security today.

“My message to our Swedish friends is clear, the UK is doing all that we can to support their accession to Nato, which must happen as soon as possible to bolster our defences and make us all safer.”

The Foreign Secretary will also meet Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson to discuss strengthening cooperation including through joint exercises and training between the countries’ armed forces.

Sweden and Finland applied to join Nato together following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

Finland became the 31st member of the military alliance in April after the Turkish parliament ratified its request.