Friday, June 13, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

“After DCA: Open letter to Sweden Democrat grassroots”

The new cold war

The DCA agreement is the biggest political scandal since the Second World War, which means that foreign powers can now have military bases on Swedish soil. The Sweden Democrats has contributed to this, writes Björn Backengård.

Published 19 October 2024
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson.
5 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

If the Sweden Democrats had voted no to DCA, the issue would have been tabled, and the Swedish people would have had time to familiarize themselves with the issue. Members of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) were informed. On June 7, Svenska Dagbladet published the article Wait with decisions on American bases, and they received emails with tips about the article.

Here you can see how the Riksdag voted. Scroll down a bit and you will see a list of how each person voted.

What does DCA mean?

The DCA has nothing to do with NATO membership but is only a military agreement between the US and Sweden. The agreement is for ten years, which means that the US is allowed to have seventeen military bases in Sweden where they can also store military equipment. Their aircraft, ships and vehicles may move freely in the country. There are no guarantees that nuclear weapons will not be placed in Sweden.

The work on the agreement was started by the former Minister of Defense, Peter Hultqvist, and completed by the current Minister, Pål Jonson. The idea behind the DCA is that the US is planning war against Russia, and they want to be able to attack Russia from Sweden. The US can attack with aircraft or missiles. They avoid attacking from their own country, while any response from Russia impacts Sweden. This would drag Sweden into the USA’s war against Russia. This plan from the USA is diabolical, and unfortunately, there are people here in Sweden who have helped facilitate it.

Read the agreement here with some comments.

Response to an opinion poll

The Swedish Peace Council commissioned an opinion poll. The question was: Do you think that foreign powers should be allowed to place military and war material on Swedish military bases without Swedish supervision? 84% answered “No”.

The Sweden Democrats’ central office was informed of the opinion poll, and the following response was given:

Hello

… the starting point is that all activities are conducted with respect for Swedish sovereignty… [Regarding selected parts of the agreement: Economy, law, bases, nuclear weapons.]… the significantly deteriorating security situation in our region has necessitated a reevaluation of our foreign and defense policy.

Kind regards,

[First name]
Information assistant”

On Swedish sovereignty. It is abolished in point 7.3 of the agreement. Also paragraph 11.1 abolishes Swedish sovereignty: “[U.S.] aircraft, vessels, and vehicles may not be boarded or controlled without the consent of the United States.”

On deteriorating security policy developments. There is nothing in the agreement about US assistance. Instead, with American attacks from here, the security policy development will be much worse for us.

The full response from the Sweden Democrats can be read here. It was probably written by influential people at the top of the party, and it is cowardly that they do not sign their names.

On crimes against Sweden’s security

The human rights organization Accoun filed police reports on 13 December 2023 and 9 June 2024 about how DCA had come about. The reports have so far led nowhere, but they contain valuable material for further work against DCA. In the report, they drew our attention to the Criminal Code’s provisions on crimes against Sweden’s security.

DCA supporters try to bluff

The DCA supporters claim that Russia is threatening its surroundings. They mention Ukraine, Crimea and Georgia and then claim that US military bases are therefore needed in Sweden.

The war in Ukraine began in 2014 with the coup d’état in Kiev. The new regime then rearmed, and for several years bombed its own population in eastern Ukraine. In December 2021, Russia submitted proposals to the United States and NATO for agreements on security issues, but was rejected. On February 24, 2022, Russia entered Ukraine and in March there was a peace agreement that NATO blocked.

Crimea was annexed to Ukraine in 1954. In 2014, following a referendum, it applied to become part of Russia. Russia approved the application, protecting the Russian population and preventing its naval base on the Black Sea from becoming part of NATO.

The war in Georgia in August 2008 was not Russian aggression. See Swedish Wikipedia.

It is NATO that has been pushing against Russia and preparing for war in Ukraine for many years, as part of NATO’s plans to attack Russia. That’s the big picture in a nutshell.

The Sweden Democrats bylaws

We read in the Sweden Democrats bylaws, Chapter 1, General Statutes, § 1 Purpose and goals:

The Sweden Democrats are a social conservative party with a nationalist outlook … The party was formed in 1988 with the overall goal of forming a democratic, political movement that would safeguard the common national

identity … We affirm … proven well-functioning natural communities in the form of the family and the nation.”

Can a nationalist party really allow foreign powers to acquire military bases on Swedish soil?

Members’ power in the party

The Sweden Democrats grassroots can arrange for an extraordinary National Congress to be convened in order to replace the top members responsible for the party voting in favor of the DCA agreement.

Furthermore. Elections to the Riksdag will be held in the fall of 2026. The party candidates, and thus the ballots, will probably be decided in 2025 or early 2026. Then make sure that those who voted for the DCA agreement end up so far down the ballot that they do not enter the Riksdag again.

Collaboration is important

The purpose of the DCA is that the US wants to be able to attack Russia from Swedish soil, and thus the agreement is extremely dangerous for us. Therefore, we must seek cooperation in every possible way to terminate the agreement, preferably before the ten-year deadline. NATO supporters and opponents must work together. Most NATO supporters are peaceful, but unfortunately, they have not fully understood NATO’s militaristic nature. They can help against the DCA.

A renewed Sweden Democrats party should seek cooperation with the Left Party (V) and the Greens (MP) on the issue of DCA and apply something called a united front. This means that even if you are far apart politically, a particular issue may be so important that you work together on that particular issue to achieve results.

All avenues must be explored. It is possible to propose in the Riksdag that the Chancellor of Justice and the Constitutional Committee examine how the agreement was established, doing so in light of Chapter 19 of the Penal Code, and that as long as the review is ongoing, the agreement should not be valid.

Chapter 19:3 of the Penal Code states:

If a person assigned to negotiate on behalf of the realm with a foreign power, or otherwise to safeguard the interests of the realm with someone representing the interests of a foreign power, abuses their authority to represent the realm or otherwise misuses their position of trust, thereby causing significant harm to the realm, they shall be sentenced for disloyalty in negotiations with a foreign power to a fixed term of imprisonment, not less than two years and not more than eighteen years, or for life.

This is serious stuff.

Our times are dramatic, and a revitalized Sweden Democrats party can make a significant impact on Sweden.

 

Björn Backengård,
Hisings Backa, Gothenburg, Sweden

 

Translation by TNT editorial team.

The Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) is a bilateral defense cooperation agreement between Sweden and the United States. It was approved by the Swedish Parliament on 18 June 2024.

The Sweden Democrats is the second largest party in the Swedish Riksdag. They are not part of the current "Tidö" government, but work closely with it.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Denmark signs defense pact enabling US military presence in Greenland and Faroe Islands

The new cold war

Published yesterday 16:49
– By Editorial Staff
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen looks forward to enhanced cooperation with the US.
3 minute read

The Danish Parliament has voted through an agreement granting the US access to Danish military bases – including military infrastructure in the autonomous regions of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Critics warn of a slide in Danish sovereignty, while the government describes the agreement as a necessary step.

With a broad majority – 94 votes in favor and 11 against – the Danish parliament this week adopted a new defense agreement with the US. The agreement gives US forces the right to use several military facilities on Danish soil, including Karup, Skrydstrup, and Aalborg, as well as access to areas in the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

According to the Danish government, the agreement aims to strengthen Denmark’s cooperation with the US within the framework of NATO. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen emphasizes that the agreement does not imply a permanent troop presence, but rather logistical capabilities and operational flexibility.

The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the US military presence is seen as a way to be ready to respond quickly to crises in the Arctic and North Atlantic – areas that have become more important militarily as the security situation has changed.

The agreement has also attracted criticism from several quarters. Particularly controversial is the clause stipulating that US military personnel will be subject to US jurisdiction, even if they commit crimes against civilians in Denmark. Several opposition politicians have pointed out that this undermines the rule of law and goes against Danish legal tradition.

Shortly before the vote, the leader of the Unity List, Pelle Dragsted, said that the agreement is “harmful to the country”.

It is an agreement that means that we will have areas in Denmark that are under American jurisdiction. Where Danish authorities cannot exercise control. And where mistreatment of prisoners can occur. It is a gigantic failure towards the Danish population.

With the country’s new DCA agreement with the US, Danish soldiers can expect to see a significant increase in the American presence in Denmark. Photo: 7th Army Training Command/CC BY 2.0

Superpower logic guides decisions

Others believe that the agreement represents a step toward Denmark effectively ceding parts of its territory to a foreign power.

Greenland and the Faroe Islands, both of which have extensive self-government, have been formally informed of the agreement, but neither the Faroese Lagting nor the Greenlandic Inatsisartut have had the right to block the decision. This has led to further criticism, as many see it as Copenhagen bypassing local interests in favor of superpower logic.

In the background is also the geopolitical shift underway in the Arctic, where Russia, China, and the US are all trying to strengthen their positions. The US has previously shown interest in Greenland not least after Donald Trump’s much-publicized proposal to buy the island and considers it to be of strategic importance for surveillance and control of the North Atlantic.

The Danish government sees the agreement as a necessary adaptation to a new reality.

– The problem is not too much involvement from the US in Europe. On the contrary, the risk is that the US will withdraw and move troops away or stop donations to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier this week.

At the same time, there are growing concerns that Denmark is also making itself more vulnerable both politically and militarily in the event of a future conflict between major powers.

The Folketing’s decision therefore marks not only a deepening of cooperation with the US, but also a change in Denmark’s attitude toward military alliances and sovereignty—a choice that is far from comfortable for all Danes.

Tulsi Gabbard: The warmongers are driving the world to nuclear holocaust

The new cold war

Published 11 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Tulsi Gabbard has previously accused NATO leaders of being "insane" and of trying to drag humanity into a third world war.
3 minute read

US National Intelligence Officer Tulsi Gabbard warns in a grim video message of the risk of a full-scale nuclear war.

She sharply criticizes “the political elite warmongers” and accuses them of pushing the world “closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before”.

In the three-minute video clip, Gabbard talks about her recent visit to Hiroshima, Japan, where she studied the aftermath of the US nuclear attack on the city in 1945. The video mixes images from the trip with archive footage of the victims of the bombing and shows Gabbard speaking directly to the camera about the consequences of a modern nuclear attack.

Gabbard points out that today’s nuclear weapons are significantly more powerful than those used in World War II.

– A single nuclear weapon today could kill millions in just minutes, she explains, continuing:

– This is the reality of what’s at stake, what we are facing now. Because as we stand here today, closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before, political elite warmongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers.

“Up to us – the people”

Gabbard further suggests that powerful people are convinced that they would have access to “nuclear shelters” and therefore believe themselves to be protected from the consequences of a nuclear war.

– It’s up to us, the people, to speak up and demand an end to this madness. We must reject this path to nuclear war and work toward a world where no one has to live in fear of a nuclear holocaust, she concludes.

It is unclear exactly when the video was recorded, but Gabbard visited Japan last week, including an American military base together with the US ambassador to the country. However, according to her staff, she did not visit Hiroshima during her first visit to Japan as director of intelligence in March.

When asked to clarify her statements, Gabbard’s deputy chief of staff, Alexa Henning, responded that President Donald Trump also shares her concern about a future nuclear war.

President Trump has repeatedly stated in the past that he recognizes the immeasurable suffering, and annihilation can be caused by nuclear war, which is why he has been unequivocal that we all need to do everything possible to work towards peace”, Henning said in a written statement, adding that Gabbard supports Trump’s goal of lasting peace and stability.

“Trying to drag us into World War III”

This is not the first time the former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate has warned that a nuclear war could be imminent – and she has also strongly criticized politicians and military leaders for their warmongering.

During her 2019 presidential campaign, she said the world was “on the brink of nuclear war”, and in Congress she was a strong advocate for nuclear disarmament and renewed international agreements.

As recently as 2023, she also accused leading representatives of the US, NATO, and Ukraine of having ambitions to start a third world war and risk the survival of all humanity.

The warmongers are trying to drag us into World War III, which can only end one way: nuclear annihilation and the suffering and death of all our loved ones. Zelensky, Biden, NATO, congressional and media neocons are insane. And we are insane if we passively allow them to lead us into this holocaust like sheep to the slaughter”, she warned on X.

Welfare may be sacrificed as Denmark ramps up military spending

The new cold war

Published 3 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has pledged to invest billions of euros in upgrading the country's military forces.
3 minute read

Denmark is preparing to significantly increase its defense spending to meet NATO’s new targets – but the bill will be steep.

According to estimates from Aarhus University, the upgrade will require an additional 90 billion DDK (€12 billion) on top of current levels. The question now is where the money will come from – and what will have to be sacrificed in return.

This will be something that individual Danes will actually notice, Bo Sandemann Rasmussen, professor of economics at Aarhus University, told TV 2.

After a summit in Vilnius, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark is ready to increase its defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP and allocate an additional 1.5 percent to other security-related activities such as cybersecurity, border protection, and coastal defense.

In total, five percent of the country’s gross domestic product would go to security – more than double the current target of two percent.

But according to the professor, this would require an additional DDK 90 billion (€12 billion) in the budget – money that can hardly be found in the so-called economic reform space.

It seems increasingly unlikely that we can count on covering 90 billion, he estimates.

Cuts in welfare?

Denmark has already significantly increased its defense spending since the war in Ukraine began, reaching around 2.4 percent of GDP in 2023 – equivalent to €9 billion. But to reach five percent, significantly more is needed – and that will have consequences.

The population is aging, which requires more resources for public services. If we want to maintain today’s level of service, we will probably need to find new sources of funding, says the economist.

He believes that the political choice now is between cutting public spending or raising taxes, for example by introducing a special war tax.

– It’s hard to see how we wouldn’t need a tax increase to reach 90 billion. After all, it’s a very large sum.

“Other things we can’t afford”

To put the figure into perspective, Denmark spent an equivalent of €21 billion on education and €2 billion on the police in 2023. A €12 billion upgrade is therefore equivalent to six times the entire police budget.

If the amount is lower than that, it may be more realistic to finance it, but then there are other things we cannot afford, explains Rasmussen.

A formal decision on the new defense targets is expected at the NATO summit in The Hague at the end of June. Until then, the question remains as to which areas of welfare will be cut back – and how much Danish households themselves will have to pay.

Demands from the US

It should be noted that Denmark is not the only NATO country currently spending billions on military buildup – investments that in many places are being financed by cuts in welfare.

The Trump administration is demanding that Europe and Canada take greater “responsibility” for the continent’s defense, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has declared that he wants member countries’ military budgets to amount to approximately five percent of GDP.

Two percent is a start, as President Trump has Trump has said, but it’s not enough, nor is three percent, nor is four percent. More like five percent, he emphasized earlier this year, calling on NATO countries to make “real investments”.

UK invests billions in new arms factories

The new cold war

Published 2 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
BAE Systems, based in the UK, is Europe's largest arms manufacturer, employing more than 83 000 people and producing, among other things, the Challenger tank.
2 minute read

The UK will invest $2 billion in new arms factories as part of a major military buildup, Defense Secretary John Healey announces ahead of the government’s Strategic Defense Review tomorrow.

The investment includes at least six new ammunition and explosives factories, as well as the purchase of over 7,000 domestically produced long-range weapons, including drones and missiles.

– The hard-fought lessons from Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind it, said Healey.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer also underlines the need to respond to alleged threats from states with advanced military capabilities singling out Russia, Iran and North Korea in particular.

– We are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, so we must be ready to fight and win, he declares.

The investment is also said to be aimed at stimulating the economy, and will see the UK spend a total of around £6 billion on munitions during the current parliamentary term.

AI to improve decision-making in combat

– We welcome investment in new munitions factories, but we don’t know when they will be ready – only that these orders should have been placed months ago, said James Cartlidge, defense spokesman for the Liberal Conservative opposition.

The UK, one of Ukraine’s most generous funders, has decided to raise its defense budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a long-term goal of 3% by 2034.

Meanwhile, Moscow warns of rising tensions and accuses former prime minister Boris Johnson of sabotaging the 2022 peace talks and pressuring Ukraine to leave a claim he denies.

Meanwhile, the UK government has announced it will invest billions in artificial intelligence to improve decision-making on the battlefield and has committed to spending an additional £1.5 billion to improve the country’s military housing.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.