Russian armed attack ‘against Sweden or its Allies cannot be ruled out’, Stockholm warns in new security strategy amid warnings NATO needs 350,000 extra troops to counter Putin’s forces in event of invasion
- Sweden has tightened its security policy amid concerns over the Russian threat
An armed attack by Russia on Sweden or its allies cannot be ruled out, Stockholm warns in its recently published security strategy, in which Moscow is named the greatest threat for the coming years.
Sweden has tightened its national security policy amid concerns that led the Swedish military’s commander-in-chief to warn Swedes to “mentally prepare for war”.
The new national security strategy was published today and runs until 2030.
The illegal invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s forces in 2022 led to the Scandinavian nation joining NATO, ending more than two centuries of neutrality.
The severity of the Russian threat depends on what happens next in the war in Ukraine, Defense Minister Pal Jonson told a news conference.
According to him, the threshold for Russia to use military force is ‘low’ and Moscow is ‘prepared to take great political and military risks’.
A U.S. Marine is seen on a HIMARS (High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System) during Baltops 24 military exercises on the island of Uto, in the Stockholm archipelago, Sweden.
The severity of the Russian threat will depend on what happens next in the war in Ukraine, Defense Minister Pal Jonson told a news conference
According to Stockholm, the threshold for Russia to use military power is ‘low’. Pictured: Putin with troops in Moscow last month
Stockholm had a 30-year partnership with the alliance, but only officially joined on March 7, two years after the policy of military impartiality was changed following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In its new strategy, Sweden also stated that it has “taken measures to protect its strategic assets,” particularly in the north.
In 2023, a Swedish mining group announced that it had discovered Europe’s “largest known deposit of rare earth elements” in the Swedish Arctic.
Sweden is one of the EU’s largest mining countries, responsible for more than 90 percent of the bloc’s iron ore production.
Sweden’s accession to NATO was hailed as a major step forward in strengthening the bloc’s eastern flank.
Within hours of Sweden joining the alliance, troops were taking part in the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War.
Soldiers from Britain and the US have also been visiting the country’s territory as part of the extensive war exercises.
Strategically, in addition to the long Baltic coastline, Sweden has the island of Gotland, which could play a central defensive role.
Across the sea, Russia has its own important outpost: the Kaliningrad exclave. The Baltic state would serve as a front line if war broke out.
Conscripts from the US Maine Corps and Stockholm’s Amphibious Regiment are seen during Baltops 24 military exercises on the island of Uto
In January, Sweden’s Minister of Civil Protection warned that his country could face war.
Carl-Oskar Bohlin urged citizens to join voluntary defense organizations in preparation for a possible armed conflict.
“War could break out in Sweden… The world is facing a security risk greater than at any time since the end of World War II,” the minister said at the time.
The latest warning comes on the eve of the three-day NATO summit in Washington, where Western leaders want to assure Ukraine of the alliance’s unwavering support.
The latest attack by Putin’s forces on civilian targets in Ukraine this morning saw a supersonic missile hit a children’s hospital.
It was the largest bombing raid on Kiev in months. Other cities were also hit, killing dozens.