Swedish Foreign Minister Billström announces he will resign

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström announced his resignation in a statement on his social media account. Billström said, "With a mixture of sadness and pride, I informed the Prime Minister today that I will step down as Foreign Minister at the opening of parliament next week."

Stating that he did not take the decision to resign lightly, Billström noted that he has held various positions over the last 25 years, 10 of which were as a minister, and said, "I also want to say that I am very happy and proud of what we have achieved in these two years. First and foremost, after a long and sometimes difficult process, Sweden has finally joined NATO."

Stating that the current government has carried out a historic reorganization of Swedish security policy since the Second World War, Billström said, "We have put forward a long-term policy to counter Russia's expansion. The situation in the Middle East is also serious, and Sweden is working with the EU, the US, and other countries to stabilize the situation. In the long term, the only reasonable solution is a two-state solution."

Stating that he will leave politics entirely, Billström said he has not yet decided what he will do next. The 50-year-old Billström had been serving as Foreign Minister since October 2022.