STOCKHOLM, January 21. /TASS/. Sweden will likely turn down US President Donald Trump’s offer to join the Board of Peace on Gaza, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference in Davos, broadcast by the SVT television channel.
"We will discuss this with other EU countries, but as of now, it looks like Sweden won’t sign up," he said.
"There’s a lot of ways we could go, and I'm not ruling anything out at this point. If you try to blackmail one EU country, you will have to deal with the entire European Union. And I believe it's important to make that clear. It's obvious that we stand for free trade and are against tariff increases. The EU as a continent is not looking to raise tariffs, but we have that tool available if it becomes necessary," the prime minister said, commenting on Trump's latest threat to impose tariffs over the Greenland situation.
Earlier, leaders of several countries received invitations from the US to join the body. The board is expected to begin work during the second phase of the peace plan agreed in October 2025 by Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas through mediation from Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Turkey. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received an invitation to join the Board of Peace and was considering this possibility. Sweden had earlier confirmed receiving an invitation.
On January 17, Trump stated in a post on his Truth Social platform that the US would start collecting a 10% tariff from the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, France, and Sweden. These tariffs would remain until the parties reached an agreement on the "full and final acquisition" of Greenland by Washington. This decision takes effect on February 1, and starting June 1, the tariff rate will increase to 25%. Furthermore, the US leader criticized Europe's intention to send its forces to Greenland, calling it a very dangerous game. Trump stated that owning the island is necessary for strengthening US national security and for the effective deployment of the American Golden Dome missile defense system.