The Watch Staff
Swedish leaders want citizens to seriously prepare for the possibility of Russian aggression, with the government currently assessing how to best inform the public of the threats, which have heightened after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.
Gen. Micael Bydèn, Sweden’s top military commander, and Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the minister for civil defense, speaking at security conference in January, each warned that Sweden must be prepared for the worst. “Let me say it with the power of office” and “with unadorned clarity: There could be war in Sweden,” Mr. Bohlin said, according to The New York Times newspaper.
At the same conference in Salen, Sweden, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his country’s citizens should be ready to defend their homeland “with weapons in hand — at the risk of their lives,” according to the High North News, a Norwegian newspaper.
The rhetoric marks a change for Sweden, which maintained a neutral stance toward Russia during the Cold War. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine prompted Sweden to request NATO membership. In March, Sweden acceded to the alliance following ratification votes by Turkey’s parliament in January and Hungary’s parliament in late February.
One Norwegian security expert said the policy shift is a deliberate attempt by Swedish leaders to raise awareness of an uncertain future. “I see the statements as part of the work to increase awareness in Sweden of external threats in a wide sense and to create acceptance for increased allocations and security measures,” said Odd Jarle Borch in an interview with High North News. Borch is a professor of strategy and business administration at Nord University. He also leads NORDLAB, the university’s laboratory for preparedness management.
“This likely includes an aspiration to make Swedish citizens more interested in preparedness in general, including self-preparedness. Sweden has long held onto its neutrality policy, and it could be more demanding to make the population understand that it has become more exposed to external threats,” Borch said.
Polls have shown that about two-thirds of the country hold positive opinions of NATO, reflecting a new understanding of the country’s vulnerability. The High North News reported that self-preparedness activities are on the rise and applications to the Swedish Home Guard have increased fivefold.
“An important point, which the Swedish Chief of Defense also touched upon, is that deterrence is not just about showing what military power one can muster. An all-encompassing deterrence strategy, which is the new defense doctrine, is linked to the extent to which one has both war capacity and a civil society that is robust enough to withstand major trials,” Borch said.