(Bloomberg) -- Sweden and Finland held high-level security talks on Saturday as part of a deepening relationship between the two militarily non-aligned nations as they jointly reassess their defense policies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“The security situation has altered in a dramatic way,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Saturday in Helsinki during a news conference with her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin ahead of their meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and the two nations' defense ministers.
“The cooperation between Sweden and Finland when it comes to the defense area has been closer and closer for a number of years,” Andersson said. “We do see a closer cooperation now than we've seen, maybe closer than ever.”
The premiers declined to comment on potential membership in the NATO defense bloc, while saying there were no direct military threats against either Nordic country.
Saturday's meeting comes after the debate on joining NATO has intensified in both nations that have stayed out of military alliances despite deepening their security cooperation with NATO and the U.S. in last decades. Both countries have seen a historic shift in attitudes to NATO since Russia's attack, with about half the population now supporting entry.
Niinisto met with President Joe Biden on Friday, and the presidents phoned Andersson after agreeing to start a “clear process” to enhance security and defense cooperation, also involving Nordic partners, according to comments from the Finnish president. Andersson said she'd told Biden that Sweden is also interested in close cooperation with the U.S.
Read More: Finland's Leader Leverages Biden Face Time to Boost Ties
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