WASHINGTON, D.C –
Vice Chairman Spokesperson Major Joshua J. Pena provided the following readout:
General Christopher J. Mahoney, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with General Michael Claesson, Swedish Chief of Defence, at the Pentagon, 25 March 2026. The leaders discussed support to Ukraine and key lessons learned, emphasizing resilience, interoperability, and rapid adaptation, as well as the need to strengthen their respective defense industrial bases.
Both leaders highlighted the role of multinational exercises to innovate and test capabilities and the growing U.S.-Sweden security relationship. General Claesson expressed Sweden’s openness to expanding bilateral cooperation through the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), and underscored Sweden’s role as a security provider in Europe while monitoring the situation in the Middle East.
The leaders underscored the importance of the U.S.-Sweden military partnership, built on shared democratic values, strong security cooperation, and a commitment to interoperability and collective defense. They emphasized continued collaboration to counter emerging threats, and promote stability, resilience, and prosperity across the Euro-Atlantic region.