The US is the largest contributor militarily to Ukraine and it has been a decisive reason why the country managed to hold out against Russia’s invasion for 1,000 days.
With the change of power in the White House, Europe needs to prepare for the possibility that it may change, but Ulf Kristersson does not want to draw any conclusions about what lies ahead from the conversation he had with Donald Trump.
– I described with some precision how we see the situation, both why Ukraine is such an important existential issue for our security but also why transatlantic cooperation has been incredibly important. I understood that he really acknowledged it but that does not mean that the US makes the decisions that we think they should make. We respect that, he says.
Wants to strengthen Ukraine ahead of negotiations
If peace negotiations with Putin become relevant, it must take place on Ukraine’s terms, says the prime minister.
– There are many of us who have done everything we could for the Ukrainians to stand as strong as possible until they themselves can define that “now we can negotiate peace”. When Ukraine wants to discuss – then we are on their side.
Europe needs to do more
Next week, prime ministers from the Nordic and Baltic countries plus Poland will gather for a meeting at Harpsund to talk about what they can do further.
– The Nordic countries and the Baltic countries are together the second largest contributor militarily, so we have certainly done our part, but we must also be prepared to do more, says Kristersson.
Hear more about Ulf Kristersson’s view of Ukraine and the conversation with Trump in the video