Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Defence Minister Pal Jonson announced that Sweden's military would step-up preparations with NATO in an article published in Dagens Nyheter on Friday. "The preparations may consist of temporary basing of foreign equipment and personnel on Swedish territory. The decision sends a clear signal to Russia and strengthens Sweden's defense," they wrote. The joint operations send "a clear signal to Russia that our ability to give and receive military aid is good."

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported the Swedish and Finnish militaries were rapidly integrating into the alliance due to a campaign by internationalist officials who worked to integrate the Nordic states into the bloc despite public opposition.

"Behind that long-standing public reticence was a meticulous, decades long campaign of preparation by internationalist officials," the WSJ wrote. "Who since the 1990s sought to move their countries as close to the alliance as domestic public opinion – dead set against full membership – allowed."

The article explained, "By the time public and political opinion last year swung behind joining NATO, the Swedish and Finnish militaries had been streamlined to NATO standards through participating in joint missions for 30 years."