STOCKHOLM — Sweden has had very early discussions with France and the United Kingdom about possible nuclear weapons cooperation, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has revealed.
No concrete proposals or timelines for any cooperation were outlined, and Kristersson emphasized that talks remain preliminary in early stages. But his remarks to Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT mark a notable shift in tone on the sensitive issue in Sweden of nuclear deterrence in Europe.
They come amid broader debates about strengthening European security independence within NATO, particularly in light of uncertainties surrounding long-term US commitments and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
“France occasionally raises, even publicly, an interest in discussing nuclear weapons capabilities with other European countries,” Kristersson said in his comments.
His statement came just days after the US Defense Department released its unclassified National Defense Strategy (NDS). Part of that document laid out a two-pronged message about how the Trump administration will counter Russia: by building up American nuclear forces, while also drawing down US forces in Europe and having the European nations handle their own continental defense.
Asked how he responds when France inquires about cooperation on nuclear weapons, Kristersson replied: “I say that when we joined NATO, we are fully involved in all discussions, including those in Europe revolving around nuclear weapons. Not so that they should be used, but as long as dangerous countries possess nuclear weapons, sound democracies must also have access to nuclear weapons.”
In a follow up question about whether Sweden could participate with France in a nuclear program, Kristersson responded “yes,” before revealing that such discussions have already begun.
“We are now holding ongoing discussions with both France and the United Kingdom. They are not very precise yet, and the French [nuclear weapons] are uniquely French, but France also shows openness to discussing with other countries.”
“We should not get ahead of events. These discussions are ongoing now, and as a NATO member, we are fully involved in everything. We have not seen any need to place it (nuclear weapons) in Sweden in peacetime, in the same way as one can have foreign forces in Sweden in peacetime.”
The statement from the Swedish PM also came after an editorial in Dagens Nyheter, one of Sweden’s most influential morning newspapers, titled “Ingen vill diskutera svenska kärnvapen, men vi måste” (“No one wants to discuss Swedish nuclear weapons, but we must”). That piece argued that Sweden and Europe can no longer avoid a serious discussion about non-US nuclear deterrence options.
The piece highlights growing European uncertainties in the transatlantic security guarantee amid European concerns about US reliability under current and potential future administrations.
The editorial points out Sweden’s possible advantages: its combination of nuclear technology expertise (from past Cold War research and civilian/military programs) and a capable defense industry could give Sweden a pivotal role if such a northern European nuclear option were pursued.
Sweden joined NATO in March 2024, but the extent to which Stockholm would fully accept the alliance’s reliance on nuclear deterrence — provided by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France — remained an open and sensitive question for some time.
This issue was directly addressed by NATO’s Director of Nuclear Policy, Jim Stokes, during a seminar in Stockholm in June 2024. Stokes emphasized the need for Sweden to openly explain the implications of membership to its citizens, stating: “Sweden needs to communicate to its public the importance of having joined a nuclear alliance.”
Historically, France has regarded its nuclear weapons solely as a national guarantee of security, but Macron has launched a debate about extending this protection to European allies — including through coordination with the United Kingdom and discussions on a European dimension to France’s vital interests. Since July of last year, France and the United Kingdom have been under the so-called Northwood Declaration, which pledged them to coordinate nuclear strategy. France is not a part of NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group (NPG).
During the early stages of the Cold War, Sweden had a top-secret nuclear weapons program. However, the program was halted in the early 1970s. Sweden signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1968 and assumed it was protected by the US nuclear umbrella, according to previous Cold War research.