STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden’s government wants to increase military spending to 2% of GDP “as soon as practically possible” in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Thursday.
“Today, we present a new initiative with a clear message to the Swedish people and to the world around us. Sweden’s defence capability must be greatly strengthened,” Andersson told a news conference.
As the Cold War ended, Sweden’s defence spending as a proportion of gross domestic product has fallen from 3% in the early 1980s to around 1% in recent years.
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander, Editing by Helena Soderpalm and Hugh Lawson)
