Sweden has outlined Europe’s security as the primary task for its six-month presidency of the European Union from the start of next year, according to Bloomberg.
The Nordic nation will prioritize continued economic and military support for Ukraine, as well as support for Ukraine’s path toward the EU, and work to build consensus toward “a robust European security and defense policy,” according to priorities outlined in Stockholm on Wednesday. Other key areas for the rotating presidency include resilience, prosperity, and democratic values, including the rule of law.
“The Union that has become synonymous with peace, freedom and trade is now living alongside the kind of war that once created the very need for the EU,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the Swedish parliament in a speech.
“The primary task for our presidency will therefore be to help ensure Europe’s security. By systematically standing up for Ukraine, but also, in an increasingly insecure world, by underscoring the EU’s geopolitical significance,” he said.