Swedes fear war after long peace
SINGAPORE – Sweden has enjoyed peace for over 200 years, but the war in Ukraine has shocked the Nordic country to re-evaluate its long-term security, said the Swedish ambassador to Singapore, Kent Härstedt.
In a recent interview with Yahoo News Singapore, Härstedt said that the Ukraine conflict has shattered Swedes’ confidence in Europe’s geopolitical future. Consequently, the overwhelming majority of Swedes support their country’s application to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to Härstedt.
“People were worried about security, their well-being, so I think (the Ukraine conflict) has changed the thinking of the people and made them worried about war and peace,” the 57-year-old diplomat added.
The last time Sweden fought a war was in 1814 after neighboring Norway declared its independence. The two countries then fought a short-lived war and signed an agreement on a ceasefire on 14 August 1814, which ushered in an unprecedented long period of peace for Sweden.
The events since February 24 – the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – were received with “shock and great remorse” and encouraged Swedish political parties due to the long-term deterioration of the security environment in Europe, says Härstedt, who had previously been a Swedish member of parliament and abroad and the Defense Committees for about two decades.
Six out of eight political parties in Sweden have expressed support for NATO membership, while a Swedish parliamentary committee has presented a report on how the Nordic country should respond to the Ukraine war, according to the ambassador.
“Another thing that is important to us is the Finnish decision to apply for NATO membership. It also affects us, says Härstedt.
Finland’s and Sweden’s applications on 18 May to join NATO are awaiting approval and must be unanimously approved by all 30 NATO members before the Nordic countries can join the alliance.
In a separate interview with Yahoo News SingaporeFinland’s Ambassador to Singapore Antti Vänskä also said that Russia’s “obvious” invasion of Ukraine had caused a “very profound change” in his country’s security assessment and fueled its desire to join NATO.
When asked what Sweden would add to the alliance, Härstedt pointed out that the country is modern and democratic, and has a technology-driven conscription system that employs fewer soldiers than before.
Sweden had military conscription for over 100 years until the system was abolished in 2010. It reactivated conscription in 2017 in response to emerging threats to national security.
In a parallel development in recent years, Sweden has moved away from a policy of neutrality that applied from 1814 to 2009, and has signed various defense treaties with a number of the European Union and other Nordic countries.
The applications from Sweden and Finland to join NATO are opposed by Turkey, which accuses them of harboring individuals who claim to be “terrorists”, including those from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Härstedt said that Stockholm and Ankara had a dialogue on the issue and declined to reveal further details, but he hoped that the situation would be resolved soon.
At the same time, Russia has sent mixed signals about a possible inclusion of Sweden and Finland in NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to have eased opposition to the issue but warned last month that “the expansion of military infrastructure into this territory will certainly cause our response”.
Asked about Russia’s ambivalent stance, Härstedt said: “We are an independent country and we make choices that are best for our country. Collective security guarantee is something that would serve us well in this situation.”
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