WEBVTT 00:00.109 --> 00:02.220 Time for some questions . We'll start 00:02.220 --> 00:04.442 with Swedish radio here in the middle , 00:04.442 --> 00:07.789 please . You have said over and over 00:07.800 --> 00:09.633 again that this has been a quick 00:09.633 --> 00:11.744 process , but still , it's taken more 00:11.744 --> 00:13.911 time and been more difficult than most 00:13.911 --> 00:15.967 people expected . So I would like to 00:15.967 --> 00:17.967 ask you to be a bit more personal . 00:17.967 --> 00:20.133 Maybe if you can share your emotions , 00:20.133 --> 00:22.300 how does it really feel now to finally 00:22.300 --> 00:22.030 see the Swedish flag here at NATO 00:22.040 --> 00:25.780 headquarters ? This is a great day and 00:25.790 --> 00:28.659 an historic day . It's important for 00:28.670 --> 00:30.892 Sweden . It's important for , but it is 00:30.892 --> 00:32.779 also important for me personally 00:32.790 --> 00:34.790 because the Prime Minister is right 00:34.790 --> 00:37.479 that Sweden is special for me , partly 00:37.490 --> 00:39.546 because Sweden for so many years has 00:39.546 --> 00:41.630 been such a close partner . But also 00:41.639 --> 00:43.806 because as a Norwegian , of course , I 00:43.806 --> 00:45.695 am a neighbor and I have followed 00:45.695 --> 00:47.861 Sweden closely for many , many years . 00:47.861 --> 00:50.409 And when I started as Secretary of 00:50.490 --> 00:53.860 Secretary General of back in 2014 , I 00:53.990 --> 00:56.520 was aware that some countries in Europe 00:56.529 --> 00:58.251 were applying for membership , 00:58.251 --> 01:00.251 countries like Montenegro and North 01:00.251 --> 01:02.418 Macedonia . And I'm very honored to be 01:02.418 --> 01:04.140 the Secretary General that has 01:04.140 --> 01:06.196 facilitated the membership for these 01:06.196 --> 01:08.362 two countries . But I didn't expect at 01:08.362 --> 01:10.473 all that Finland and Sweden was going 01:10.473 --> 01:12.418 to be a member during my tenure as 01:12.418 --> 01:14.739 Secretary General of . And then of 01:14.750 --> 01:17.209 course , this changed totally with the 01:17.220 --> 01:20.019 full scale invasion of Ukraine . And 01:20.029 --> 01:22.580 since then , things really moved very 01:22.589 --> 01:25.750 quickly . I also remember I talked with 01:27.919 --> 01:30.510 was in opposition at this 01:31.300 --> 01:33.309 conference and I started to talk to 01:33.319 --> 01:36.389 other Nordic Swedish and Finnish 01:36.400 --> 01:38.720 politicians about the possibility of 01:38.730 --> 01:40.897 applying for membership . And then the 01:40.897 --> 01:43.199 decisions were taken . And we had very 01:43.209 --> 01:47.110 broad support from the whole political 01:47.120 --> 01:49.231 spectrum , both in Finland and Sweden 01:49.231 --> 01:51.342 that made this impossible , made this 01:51.342 --> 01:53.509 possible . And this is of course great 01:53.509 --> 01:55.769 and it demonstrates also that door is 01:55.779 --> 01:58.830 open . It's for allies and the 01:58.839 --> 02:01.006 applicant country to decide . It's not 02:01.006 --> 02:04.309 for Russia to decide which path 02:04.319 --> 02:07.519 different European countries want to 02:07.529 --> 02:09.880 choose . And now Sweden and Finland has 02:09.889 --> 02:12.539 chosen to be a member of and I very 02:12.550 --> 02:15.809 much welcome that we'll go to Dar here , 02:15.820 --> 02:18.970 please . The German press agency DP A 02:18.979 --> 02:22.979 Prime Minister is Sweden open to 02:22.990 --> 02:26.250 participating in nato's nuclear 02:26.669 --> 02:29.869 sharing arrangements . And if not , why 02:29.880 --> 02:32.440 is Sweden not ready to do it ? And the 02:32.449 --> 02:35.580 question to the SEC um 02:37.389 --> 02:40.300 are already plans to have NATO 02:40.320 --> 02:43.800 bases a NATO perhaps a NATO 02:43.809 --> 02:45.865 headquarters in Sweden . Thank you . 02:47.139 --> 02:50.669 Well , first of all , Sweden , when we 02:50.679 --> 02:53.369 become members today or a few days ago , 02:53.380 --> 02:56.839 we embraced in its whole , 02:57.320 --> 02:59.380 its whole capabilities . I think you 02:59.389 --> 03:02.179 normally use a 360 degree perspective 03:02.190 --> 03:05.559 in a way of putting it . So we don't 03:05.570 --> 03:07.681 have any hesitations when it comes to 03:07.681 --> 03:10.169 that , we fully understand the need for 03:10.179 --> 03:12.669 all of nato's defense capabilities , 03:12.679 --> 03:15.809 including the nuclear strategy . On the 03:15.820 --> 03:18.042 other hand , we say clearly that we see 03:18.042 --> 03:21.589 no need for Sweden to host a permanent 03:21.600 --> 03:24.449 basis or nuclear weapons on Swedish 03:24.460 --> 03:28.460 soil . Peace time . That is , that is a 03:28.759 --> 03:31.880 Swedish dishes that I find being fully 03:31.889 --> 03:35.529 respected . It is , as 03:35.539 --> 03:37.428 the Prime Minister said , it is a 03:37.428 --> 03:40.149 Swedish decision , there are no plans 03:40.160 --> 03:43.539 to expand a number of countries 03:43.789 --> 03:46.910 allies with nuclear weapons . Then of 03:46.919 --> 03:49.160 course , we are constantly assessing 03:49.630 --> 03:51.241 our posture when it comes to 03:51.241 --> 03:53.490 conventional forces . But there are no 03:53.500 --> 03:55.970 plans for , for instance , a battle 03:55.979 --> 03:57.868 group in Sweden as we have in the 03:57.868 --> 04:01.080 Baltic countries . I think what we need 04:01.089 --> 04:03.145 to realize is that the fact that now 04:03.145 --> 04:06.350 Sweden and Finland are full members of 04:06.360 --> 04:09.889 the alliance is good for the whole of , 04:10.160 --> 04:12.104 but it is in particular , good and 04:12.104 --> 04:14.327 important for the Nordic region and the 04:14.327 --> 04:17.390 Baltic region because we have for a 04:17.399 --> 04:19.209 long time , been focused on the 04:19.220 --> 04:22.170 vulnerabilities and the challenges to 04:22.179 --> 04:25.440 reinforce our presence in the Baltic 04:25.450 --> 04:27.709 region in the Baltic countries . But of 04:27.720 --> 04:29.831 course , with both Finland and Sweden 04:29.831 --> 04:31.880 into the alliance , the geography 04:31.890 --> 04:35.230 really changes because we now have 04:35.420 --> 04:39.209 two important allies . Then also on the 04:39.220 --> 04:42.600 West side of the Baltic Sea and we are 04:42.609 --> 04:44.831 exercising , we are preparing , we will 04:44.831 --> 04:47.309 have plans of course , to protect 04:47.320 --> 04:51.070 Finland and Sweden , but also to help 04:51.079 --> 04:53.940 even in a more efficient and stronger 04:53.950 --> 04:57.070 way to protect all the Baltic regions , 04:57.079 --> 04:59.440 but no plans for a permanent basis . 04:59.450 --> 05:02.630 And anyway , this is a Swedish decision 05:02.640 --> 05:04.807 to be taken . If that's something they 05:04.807 --> 05:06.973 will consider in the future , we go to 05:06.973 --> 05:08.973 the tt news agency of Sweden here . 05:10.059 --> 05:12.140 Question to both of you . Russia has 05:12.149 --> 05:13.982 for many years promised to react 05:13.982 --> 05:15.816 whenever Sweden , if ever Sweden 05:15.816 --> 05:17.982 becomes a member of how worried should 05:17.982 --> 05:20.049 we now be for cyber attacks , hybrid 05:20.059 --> 05:22.890 threats , et cetera and then maybe a 05:22.899 --> 05:26.839 word in Scandinavian . No , no , 05:27.390 --> 05:28.612 the Melody Festival . 05:35.359 --> 05:38.269 Well , concerning , 05:39.019 --> 05:41.130 concerning Russia , I think we should 05:41.130 --> 05:44.790 stay alert . Stay exactly as alert as 05:44.799 --> 05:48.000 we are . They are doing all the things 05:48.010 --> 05:50.140 you mentioned . I'm quite sure they 05:50.149 --> 05:52.309 will continue doing that . We should 05:52.320 --> 05:54.820 not be naive . And I think we are , we 05:54.829 --> 05:56.940 are more aware of the risks that they 05:56.940 --> 05:59.051 pose to us now than we have ever been 05:59.051 --> 06:01.630 before . So simply still stay alert . 06:02.989 --> 06:05.420 And when it comes to your second 06:05.429 --> 06:06.429 question 06:15.700 --> 06:17.640 nor from no , 06:20.579 --> 06:21.929 from you go 06:25.480 --> 06:26.880 Kander and Nora . 06:47.609 --> 06:49.665 Of course , allies always have to be 06:49.665 --> 06:51.829 prepared and we have to be vigilant 06:51.839 --> 06:54.829 when it comes to potential Russian 06:54.839 --> 06:57.649 cyber attacks . Hybrid attacks attempt 06:57.660 --> 07:00.260 to coerce countries in Europe . But we 07:00.269 --> 07:02.899 have seen that against both allies and 07:02.910 --> 07:05.549 non allies . So the risk , for instance , 07:05.559 --> 07:08.019 for cyber attacks against Sweden is 07:08.029 --> 07:10.251 nothing new . That has been a permanent 07:10.251 --> 07:13.109 risk for years . Also when Sweden was 07:13.119 --> 07:16.910 outside , we don't see 07:16.920 --> 07:19.279 any imminent military threat against 07:19.290 --> 07:22.989 any ally . Partly because Russia is so 07:23.000 --> 07:25.000 preoccupied with the war aggression 07:25.000 --> 07:27.299 against Ukraine . But also of course , 07:27.309 --> 07:29.769 because is there , is there to make it 07:29.779 --> 07:32.489 absolutely sure that any potential 07:32.500 --> 07:34.611 adversary understands that the attack 07:34.611 --> 07:36.778 on one ally will trigger a response on 07:36.778 --> 07:39.000 the whole alliance . And the purpose of 07:39.000 --> 07:41.111 that is to not provoke a conflict but 07:41.111 --> 07:43.278 to prevent the war to preserve peace . 07:43.279 --> 07:45.779 And has done that successfully for 75 07:45.790 --> 07:47.957 years , even during the Coldest period 07:47.957 --> 07:49.790 of the Cold War to prevent war , 07:49.790 --> 07:52.179 preserve peace by removing any room for 07:52.190 --> 07:54.301 miscalculation or misunderstanding in 07:54.301 --> 07:56.545 Moscow out our redness to protect and 07:56.554 --> 07:59.684 defend all allies . So Sweden is safer 07:59.695 --> 08:03.084 inside than outside is stronger with 08:03.095 --> 08:06.285 Sweden as a full ally than Sweden as a 08:06.295 --> 08:08.406 close partner . So this is a good day 08:08.406 --> 08:10.785 for Sweden , a good day for and a good 08:10.795 --> 08:12.906 day for security and stability across 08:12.906 --> 08:15.073 Europe . Then just briefly on the last 08:15.075 --> 08:18.825 question . First of all , first of 08:19.755 --> 08:23.524 ST for nor for the new discussion , 08:49.200 --> 08:51.840 ST No 08:55.820 --> 08:57.709 D and Nader in front of me here , 08:57.709 --> 09:01.489 please . Well , for Mr 09:01.500 --> 09:05.229 Stoltenberg , Norway's closest neighbor 09:05.239 --> 09:07.590 joining NATO , can you be more specific , 09:07.599 --> 09:09.599 what do you expect from Sweden as a 09:09.599 --> 09:13.159 member of the alliance ? I expect that 09:13.169 --> 09:15.299 Sweden will be a very committed ally 09:15.309 --> 09:17.420 and I have all reason to believe that 09:17.420 --> 09:19.642 Sweden will be a committed ally because 09:19.642 --> 09:21.587 Sweden has demonstrated in so many 09:21.587 --> 09:23.698 different international organizations 09:23.698 --> 09:25.809 throughout its history that Sweden is 09:25.809 --> 09:28.031 committed to multilateral International 09:28.031 --> 09:30.253 Cooper , Sweden believes in the idea of 09:30.253 --> 09:32.365 allies and countries working together 09:32.619 --> 09:36.159 in the U in the EU and also in , 09:36.890 --> 09:38.668 I also believe that Sweden will 09:38.668 --> 09:40.834 contribute to our collective defense , 09:40.834 --> 09:43.500 partly because Sweden has high end 09:43.510 --> 09:46.820 first class military capabilities . I 09:46.830 --> 09:48.989 have had the honor of meeting Swedish 09:49.000 --> 09:52.140 soldiers training in Sweden . I have 09:52.150 --> 09:56.070 seen the Swedish Navy and we know also 09:56.080 --> 09:58.302 the high quality of the Swedish defense 09:58.302 --> 10:01.159 industry . All of this is something 10:01.169 --> 10:03.336 that Sweden brings to the lines and we 10:03.336 --> 10:07.070 welcome that . Let me also say that I 10:07.469 --> 10:10.619 welcome the fact that Sweden has over 10:10.630 --> 10:12.419 the last years , significantly 10:12.429 --> 10:15.469 increased defense spending . So now 10:15.479 --> 10:17.969 Sweden spends more than 2% of on 10:17.979 --> 10:20.710 defense . This is what we need in a 10:20.719 --> 10:22.886 more dangerous world because Sweden as 10:22.886 --> 10:25.890 Norway , as most allies reduced 10:25.900 --> 10:28.067 significant defense spending after the 10:28.067 --> 10:29.900 end of the Cold War because then 10:29.900 --> 10:32.330 tensions went down . But now when 10:32.340 --> 10:34.284 tensions are going up , we need to 10:34.284 --> 10:36.451 invest again . And that's exactly what 10:36.451 --> 10:38.673 allies are doing and Sweden is now part 10:38.673 --> 10:41.780 of that and I welcome increased Swedish 10:41.789 --> 10:44.219 defense spending . Final question to 10:44.229 --> 10:46.507 Nzz on my far left here , please . Yes , 10:46.690 --> 10:48.820 thank you , Secretary General on 10:48.830 --> 10:51.340 Ukraine will Ukraine as the potential 10:51.349 --> 10:54.140 33rd member state receive an invitation 10:54.150 --> 10:56.460 at the July summit invitation for 10:56.469 --> 10:58.691 accession negotiations . And secondly , 10:58.691 --> 11:01.210 on TAO missiles , if we can all agree 11:01.219 --> 11:04.159 that Tao missiles can well change the 11:04.169 --> 11:06.280 situation at the front . Do you agree 11:06.280 --> 11:08.359 that Germany should transfer them as 11:08.369 --> 11:11.419 soon as possible ? Thank you , Ukraine 11:11.429 --> 11:13.710 will become a NATO ally . The question 11:13.719 --> 11:17.090 is not if but when and Ukraine is now 11:17.099 --> 11:19.321 closer to membership than ever before . 11:19.559 --> 11:21.503 And this also demonstrates the big 11:21.503 --> 11:24.369 strategic mistake President Putin made 11:24.380 --> 11:27.330 when he invaded Ukraine because as you 11:27.340 --> 11:29.630 remember , his purpose was to deny 11:29.640 --> 11:32.729 Ukraine to move towards and the Eu . 11:32.940 --> 11:35.919 But also he demanded that should be 11:35.929 --> 11:38.320 made in the declaration actually sign a 11:38.330 --> 11:41.239 treaty with Russia that there should be 11:41.250 --> 11:44.349 no further enlargement with any country 11:44.359 --> 11:47.630 in Europe . And now he has , he 11:47.700 --> 11:51.010 has received the or the exact 11:51.270 --> 11:53.159 opposite . He wanted less . He is 11:53.159 --> 11:56.539 getting more and more presence in the 11:56.549 --> 11:58.716 eastern part of our alliance , Finland 11:58.716 --> 12:00.938 and Sweden are full members and Ukraine 12:00.938 --> 12:02.827 is closer to membership than ever 12:02.827 --> 12:06.359 before and we are continuing to move 12:06.380 --> 12:09.900 Ukraine also to membership by ensuring 12:09.909 --> 12:11.465 that their forces are fully 12:11.465 --> 12:14.590 interoperable with , by deepening our 12:14.599 --> 12:16.821 political cooper operation in something 12:16.821 --> 12:20.210 called the Ukraine Council . And I 12:20.219 --> 12:22.520 welcome the strong efforts by allies to 12:22.530 --> 12:26.119 help Ukraine to come 12:26.229 --> 12:29.789 even closer to membership on the 12:29.799 --> 12:32.077 terrorist missiles . What I can say is , 12:32.077 --> 12:35.950 first of all that Germany has been 12:35.960 --> 12:38.690 one of the allies that has provided the 12:38.700 --> 12:41.109 most support to Ukraine , significant 12:41.119 --> 12:43.008 substantial military support from 12:43.008 --> 12:45.450 Germany to Ukraine , advanced air 12:45.460 --> 12:48.909 defense systems , patriots and 12:48.919 --> 12:52.109 others battle tanks , the leopard 12:52.119 --> 12:56.049 battle tanks , significant amounts of 12:56.059 --> 12:58.090 ammunition and also a lot of 12:58.099 --> 13:01.210 maintenance and repair facilities to 13:01.219 --> 13:03.780 help Ukraine develop their own defense 13:03.789 --> 13:06.340 industry . So Germany is really a lead 13:06.349 --> 13:08.182 nation when it comes to military 13:08.182 --> 13:10.190 support to Ukraine . Then I also 13:10.200 --> 13:12.919 welcome that several allies are now 13:12.929 --> 13:16.549 also delivering long range systems . 13:17.039 --> 13:20.520 The UK has been delivering the storm 13:20.530 --> 13:23.020 shadow , the cruise missiles , France 13:23.030 --> 13:26.650 similar cruise missile scope and 13:26.659 --> 13:28.960 many allies are now together in a 13:28.969 --> 13:32.030 coalition helping Ukraine to train 13:32.039 --> 13:34.150 pilots , preparing them for receiving 13:34.200 --> 13:37.729 F-16s . So allies are 13:37.739 --> 13:39.850 delivering also long range systems to 13:39.850 --> 13:41.950 help Ukraine defend themselves . You 13:41.960 --> 13:44.182 have to remember what this is . This is 13:44.182 --> 13:46.200 a war aggression by Russia against 13:46.210 --> 13:48.479 Ukraine and Ukraine has enshrined in 13:48.489 --> 13:50.545 the UN Charter , the right to defend 13:50.545 --> 13:52.545 themselves and we have the right to 13:52.545 --> 13:54.711 help them to uphold the right for self 13:54.711 --> 13:56.545 defense , but I will not go into 13:56.545 --> 13:59.859 specific systems for specific allies . 13:59.869 --> 14:01.925 I just welcome that allies are doing 14:01.925 --> 14:03.799 more , including that Germany is 14:03.809 --> 14:05.642 providing significant support to 14:05.642 --> 14:07.865 Ukraine . That's all we have time for . 14:07.865 --> 14:09.753 Thank you very much . Thank you . 14:12.419 --> 14:12.719 Um .