British, Swedish premiers discuss High North security, Ukraine

LONDON

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday discussed security in the High North, the war in Ukraine, and defense relations.

In a phone call, Starmer first thanked Kristersson for Sweden’s support for Ukraine and highlighted the need to collectively go further to support their resilience, energy security, and air defense, according to a statement by the UK premier's office.

The leaders underlined the importance of ensuring Ukraine has the long‑term security assurances and continued international support it needs to secure a just and lasting peace.

The leaders then reflected on the strength of the wider UK-Sweden defense relationship, according to the statement.

"They agreed on the need to step up security in the High North and across Europe to deter threats posed by adversaries such as Russia," it added.