GENEVA, August 7. /TASS/. Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson has admitted that his country is running into trouble recruiting enough soldiers and other personnel for NATO forces.

In an interview with the Swiss Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper, he said Sweden is supposed to recruit about 250 soldiers and other personnel for the NATO command but this is a "very difficult task" for the country, which recently joined NATO. He said that Sweden wants to integrate itself in the process of the alliance’s defense planning, but NATO is currently undergoing major changes not seen since the end of the Cold War, and this complicates things for Stockholm.

Sweden joined NATO on March 7, 2024, becoming the alliance’s 32nd member. On March 11, the Swedish flag was hoisted in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Russian Foreign Minister Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slammed Sweden’s accession to NATO as a manifestation of Stockholm's more aggressive ambitions in the global arena.