Swedish officials call on people to prepare for the risk of war
(Baonghean.vn) - Top Swedish officials have urged people to prepare for a possible war, amid rising tensions with Russia. The country's ministers made their statements at a conference in Salen (Sweden).
In a speech over the weekend, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom hailed the country's planned membership in the US-led NATO military bloc, calling it "the biggest change in Sweden's security policy in more than 200 years."
However, Mr Billstrom warned that “Russia will pose a serious threat to the security of Sweden and Europe in the near future”. He admitted that Stockholm “must be realistic and ready for a prolonged confrontation”.
Sharing the same view, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson declared that “war can come to us too”. He said that Ukraine is acting as “Europe’s shield” in the conflict with Russia.
Last year, Sweden abandoned its centuries-long policy of non-alignment to join NATO, citing Russia’s ongoing military campaign in neighboring Ukraine. Sweden’s Nordic neighbor Finland followed suit, formally joining NATO last April.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson recently announced that 800 Swedish soldiers will be deployed in Latvia, a Baltic state bordering Russia, by early 2025. The Swedish unit will become part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) in Latvia. Many NATO members are stationed in the eastern member states of the bloc for short periods of time. The EFP in Latvia is currently commanded by Canada and has a force of more than 2,000 soldiers.
Speaking about Sweden's future role in NATO at last year's annual summit, Prime Minister Kristersson asserted that “it is entirely possible that we will have nuclear weapons on our territory in peacetime”.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that NATO's continued expansion towards Russia's western borders, as well as its refusal to exclude Ukraine from future membership, are among the main causes of the ongoing conflict.
Russia sees NATO as a threat to its national security. Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, has accused the West of turning Europe into an “arena of confrontation.” He warned that Finland and Sweden joining NATO would “have a negative impact on the situation in Europe.”
