NATO's newest member considers possibility of 'protracted' conflict with Russia

In an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Sweden's top diplomat hailed his country's future contribution to NATO's strategy for the Baltic region. Sweden formally joined the US-led military bloc earlier this month. "It's not Sweden and NATO that are causing the problems. It's Russia that is behaving irresponsibly and recklessly," he told the broadcaster. Billstrom cited examples of Russian behavior that he called "unacceptable," most notably its military campaign in Ukraine. Moscow, however, sees the conflict as part of a Western proxy war against Russia. Russia cites NATO's expansion policy in Europe, which has been carried out contrary to the West's promises to Moscow, as one of the main causes of the hostility. The Swedish official predicted that tensions would last for years to come. "We are in a period of prolonged conflict with Russia. And we have to adjust ourselves accordingly," Sweden's top diplomat stressed.
Secretary Billstrom said Russia was “on the path to reclaiming its former imperial possessions” as he justified NATO’s military buildup in the Baltics. Much of the region was part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union. The Russian government has no territorial claims to the Baltic states and denies any intention of starting a war with NATO. Officials in Moscow argue that such a conflict would be devastating for all parties involved, but it is the West that is risking it by provoking the crisis in Ukraine.
Mr Billstrom, who was visiting Berlin, showed solidarity with Kiev by wearing a lapel pin depicting the Swedish and Ukrainian flags. When asked about future aid, he declined to make any commitments on Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets or Swedish troops on the ground. “Of course we should do more, but that doesn’t mean we have to do it on Ukrainian soil,” he explained.
Ukraine may be losing ground on the battlefield now, but with Western help it can win, Mr Billstrom asserted. That, he said, would “stop Russia once and for all”.