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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/nato-in-focus-at-swedish-leaders-conference/

Sweden

NATO in focus at Swedish leaders’ conference

The new cold war

Published 7 January 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Magdalena Andersson, Ulf Kristersson, Jens Stoltenberg and others at last year's conference.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

This weekend’s national conference, Folk och Försvar (People and Defense), will bring together leaders to discuss issues related to Sweden’s defense and security policy. The conference will “shape a future vision and identity for defense and security policy” after the country’s government decided to abandon centuries of non-alignment for membership in the US-led military alliance NATO.

Each year, the Central Association for People and Defense organizes a “national conference in a mountain setting” that brings together Swedish government politicians, military, intelligence, media and business leaders.

In previous years, the focus has been on combating criticism of climate policy and covid-19 vaccination campaigns. This year’s focus is on the war in Ukraine and the historic shift in Sweden’s political leadership from traditional non-alignment to seeking to join the NATO military alliance.

The conference will begin on Sunday, January 7, when Sweden’s foreign minister will address the future of Swedish security policy. On the same day, participants will also ask questions of Swedish Foreign Minister Magdalena Andersson in a session titled Sweden in a New World Order.

Finland’s ambassador to Sweden will also be present to talk about Finland, NATO and long-term support for Ukraine.

“Threats to Sweden”

A recurring theme is that Sweden is said to be “threatened” in various ways from within and without, and several of the program items reflect this kind of perception. Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) will speak about “the changing security situation”, and representatives of the military intelligence service Must, the Swedish Defence Radio Agency FRA and Säpo will also discuss the topic during the event entitled Threats to Sweden – a ‘perfect storm’?

Swedish security police chief Charlotte von Essen during the national conference in 2023. Photo: Ulf Palm/Folk och Försvar.

Magnus Hjort, Director General of the Swedish Psychological Defense Agency (MPF), will also be present to talk about “threats and external influences”.

There will also be a strong focus on Sweden as a future NATO country, where Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will share his vision for Sweden’s future as an ally, and where NATO strategist Angus Lapsley has been invited to speak on A changed alliance in a new world.

Sweden’s Supreme Commander Micael Bydén will also attend the event to discuss The role of the Swedish Armed Forces in NATO.

“The commitment of the whole population”

Much energy will also be devoted to discussing the theme that Sweden’s security is the concern of the entire Swedish population. Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M), Minister for Civil Defense, will speak about “creating societal resilience”.

We need to talk about duty! and The commitment of the whole population are two other points on the theme, and Sweden’s strategy for military escalation and high alert will also be discussed in several points, as well as strategies for leadership in “crisis and war”.

Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin. Photo: Ulf Palm

Even “democracy” itself is said to be under threat. How does democracy survive to the next generation? is one of the topics discussed.

Food as a political tool, Trade relations and geopolitics, Human rights in an inhuman world, and The new non-peace – what awaits Sweden? are some other examples of the event’s agenda.

Diverse group of participants

It should be noted that the moderator for this year’s event is former SVT profile Karin Hübinette, who is now project manager for the think tank Future of Democracy, where former EU minister Cecilia Wikström and former TV4 director Jan Scherman are also listed as “senior advisors”.

The neo-conservative profile and writer Patrik Oksanen, known for his commitment to NATO and his work against dissident opinion makers and media channels, which he has mainly linked to the Russian regime, also participates in the seminar What kind of future are we facing?

Patrik Oksanen also participated last year. Photo. Ulf Palm/People and Defense

The political editor-in-chief of Schibsted’s Aftonbladet newspaper, Anders Lindberg, will also speak, as will MSB’s director general, Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, who has previously been accused of corruption and links to the globalist think tank World Economic Forum.

Folk- och Försvar’s board is chaired by Jan-Olof Jacke, CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, and vice-chaired by Susanna Gideonsson of the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions. The Swedish Bar Association, Save the Children and the youth organizations of the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats also have representatives on Folk- och Försvar’s board.

Affiliated member organizations include Swedish trade union umbrella organization LO, the Swedish Bankers’ Association, the Red Cross, the Church of Sweden and the political youth organizations.

Security policy identity

The activities of the Central Association are mainly financed by a large grant from the Ministry of Defense, membership fees and participation fees for conferences and study trips. Some projects are also funded by project grants.

“Sweden’s application for NATO membership in 2022 marked a turning point in the country’s defense and security soul, a change that is now undoubtedly beginning to shape our national identity. But the question remains: how? In this new, turbulent world, it is also necessary to shape a future defense and security vision and identity. We need to define not only what Sweden is today, but also what we want to be in this changing world”, the organizers wrote in a press release.

According to their own statement, the main purpose of the conference is to “initiate a journey by highlighting the building of a robust total defense and exploring the contours of the new Swedish defense and security identity. We focus on highlighting both established and newly formed structures that play a crucial role in this change”.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-major-general-leave-the-ottawa-treaty-and-buy-anti-personnel-mines/

Sweden

Swedish Major General: “Leave the Ottawa Treaty and buy anti-personnel mines”

The new cold war

Published today 8:46
– By Editorial Staff
Karlis Neretnieks argues that today's anti-personnel mines cannot be compared to those that kill thousands of civilians every year.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Recently The Nordic Times highlighted how the defense ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia announced that they intend to withdraw from the international convention banning the use of anti-personnel mines.

In early April, Finnish officials also confirmed that they are also preparing to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty. Retired Swedish-Latvian Major General Karlis Neretnieks now wants Sweden to do the same and start buying “smart” anti-personnel mines.

– My opinion is clear. We should do what the Finns did, leave the Ottawa Agreement, and acquire anti-personnel mines, declares Neretnieks, who has also previously served as President of the Swedish National Defense College.

He explains that within the NATO military pact, there is a plan for the Swedish army to be able to move quickly to Finland and form joint defense forces with Finnish soldiers in the event of a possible Russian attack. In such a scenario, he argues, the armies of both countries must have similar rules of engagement.

– What should we do when Swedish commanders have to command Finnish units? Should a Swedish commander tell a Finnish commander that you are not allowed to use anti-personnel mines because you are under Swedish command? That’s not how it works in reality.

Kills thousands annually

Finland’s defense minister, Antti Häkkänen, insists that “mines are only for war” and “will not be scattered in the countryside“. However, over the years, anti-personnel mines have caused enormous civilian suffering – and in 2021 alone, an estimated 5,500 people were killed by them – many of them children.

Millions of undestroyed anti-personnel mines remain in former war zones around the world – and can detonate at any time when someone accidentally steps on them. This is also one of the primary reasons why some 160 countries around the world have committed to stop stockpiling, producing or using them.

However, Neretnieks argues that today’s modern anti-personnel mines can be turned on and off by remote control – and he emphasizes that some models stop working after a certain amount of time.

– The reason for removing the mines was that they were often left behind after the fighting was over. Then they were dangerous for children, farmers and anyone walking around the terrain… I’m advocating that we abandon the Ottawa agreement and get these anti-personnel mines with self-destruction, he continues.

“Were far too enthusiastic”

Sweden signed the convention in 1998, the year after it was drafted, but the major general says it was a big mistake.

– I think we were far too enthusiastic about a ban at the height of the discussions in 1996-1997. It was quite obvious that the Russians had no intention of signing anything like that, he states.

It should be noted that it is not only Russia that has chosen not to sign the convention. Major military powers such as the US and China have so far also refused to sign the Ottawa Treaty, as have Israel, India, Iran and both North and South Korea.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/moderate-youth-league-raise-the-retirement-age-to-finance-swedens-rearmament/

Sweden

Moderate Youth League: Raise the retirement age to finance Sweden’s rearmament

The new cold war

Published yesterday 17:32
– By Editorial Staff
Raising the retirement age to fund the Swedish defense effort is not expected to be well received by the electorate.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

As reported by The Nordic Times, Swedish politicians have decided to borrow at least SEK 300 billion (€26 billion) for what is described as the “biggest rearmament since the Cold War”.

Douglas Thor, chair of The Moderate Youth League (MUF), fully supports the military investment – but emphasizes that it should be paid for by older Swedes through a higher retirement age.

The governing politicians agree that it is reasonable to borrow the equivalent of €4,400 for each Swede of working age for the military project, and analysts have noted that it will largely be future generations of Swedes who will have to pay for the decisions made today.

– It’s clear that future generations will have to take a bigger hit than if we were to just go on this year’s budget. But it also seems reasonable that future generations should help finance reconstruction because it will also benefit them, commented, for example, Daniel Waldenström, professor of economics, and continued:

– It’s simply that they will have to pay a bit more tax as a result of this. They will have to pay taxes to finance our repayment of these loans.

“In the long run, everyone will pay”

Just like the other establishment parties’ youth wings, MUF applauds the military investment, but believes older Swedes must bear a greater share of the cost – not just the younger generation.

– Borrowing money is not free. The costs are postponed to the future, which means that the younger generation has to pay. We are happy to contribute, but it is unreasonable that we alone should bear the cost, they say.

Thor’s solution is to raise the age at which older people can start drawing their pension from the current 63 to 67.

– Today, people can start drawing their income and premium pensions at the age of 63. We believe it is reasonable to raise it. One possible age is 67, confirms the Muf leader, who states that raising the retirement age is a much better option than raising taxes.

– In the long run, everyone will pay because we are all getting older. When our country has faced difficult challenges in the past, we have coped by working more, Thor argues.

Unpopular measure

Raising the retirement age to fund military spending is not expected to be a particularly popular message with voters – but Thor says this does not matter much.

– There are many issues that were previously unthinkable, but which have been reconsidered in this serious international situation. For example, loan financing has been reconsidered. It should be possible to do the same with regard to this issue.

According to Muf’s calculations, if older Swedes worked two years longer than they do today, this would mean around SEK 30 billion (€2.6 billion) extra to the public purse annually – about half the contribution needed to meet the government’s target of spending 3.5% of GDP on defense.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/international-law-expert-on-the-swedish-suicide-drones-risk-that-civilians-are-affected/

Sweden

International law expert on the Swedish suicide drones: “Risk that civilians are affected”

The new cold war

Published 10 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Ove Bring points out that commanders who accidentally injure or kill civilians can be prosecuted for this - but that it usually requires that the deaths are extensive.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish military plans to acquire several million military drones. This includes so-called “suicide drones” – and in two years’ time, Swedish kamikaze drone systems could be in operation.

Ove Bring, an expert in international law, notes that the type of drone is certainly not prohibited under international law – but that there is always a risk of civilians being killed.

The drones are equipped with explosive charges and, with the help of artificial intelligence, can fly around until they find their target – whereupon they fly into it and explode.

– A human operator sets them off and then they can fly on their own, find targets and attack targets on their own, explained AI and weapons scientist Arash Heydarian Pashakhanlou in 2022, clarifying that the suicide drones “can fly into the target on their own, explode and destroy the target”.

Many observers are critical of the technology development. The ability of unmanned aerial vehicles to kill and destroy on their own risks blurring the lines of responsibility, increasing the risk of civilian casualties and wrong decisions being made.

Others have warned that warfare is being dehumanized and that we are moving towards a development where autonomous weapon systems make lethal decisions without human intervention.

– A machine should not be allowed to decide on the life and death of a human being, says Deborah Solomon of the Swedish Peace Society.

“There is the risk that civilians are affected”

Ove Bring, professor emeritus of international law and former advisor to the Swedish Foreign Ministry on international law, admits that the use of drones can result in civilian deaths – but also emphasizes that suicide drones do not violate international law.

– This type of drone is not prohibited by international law as it is designed to hit military targets, but there is always the risk that civilians are affected, he says to The Nordic Times.

He notes that commanders who, in violation of the humanitarian law principles of precaution and proportionality, happen to harm civilians can also be prosecuted for this – at least in theory. However, this usually presupposes that the injuries or deaths are extensive.

If, on the other hand, a military target is hit by the drones – but civilians are also killed during the same attack, this does not violate any laws or conventions, the professor says.

– If the military target is hit and civilians are exposed to minor collateral damage, it must be accepted as an inevitable part of warfare. It is not considered a war crime, he concludes.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/peace-researcher-urges-diplomacy-war-leads-to-total-destruction/

Sweden

Peace researcher urges diplomacy: “War leads to total destruction”

The new cold war

Published 10 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Frida Stranne, it is important that our leaders have the capacity for "strategic empathy".
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

As war rhetoric has escalated in recent years, advocates of peace and diplomacy have increasingly been met with suspicion, demonization, and stigmatization in public discourse – often accused of being either out of touch with reality or so-called “useful idiots” for the enemy.

However, Swedish peace researcher and US expert Frida Stranne notes that peace is neither frivolous nor naïve – but in fact “the only alternative to the total destruction of countries, societies and our shared environment.”.

“Stopping a spiral of violence that risks leading us all to our deaths is one of the main tasks of politics. The dialogue that must precede peace requires far more intelligence and courage than pushing for increased militarization”, she wrote on Facebook, citing the Cuban Missile Crisis as a telling example.

“John F. Kennedy, when he saved the world from nuclear war in 1962, understood the importance of understanding the interests and pretexts that drove his opponents. He also realized how poor intelligence (and propaganda from within his own ranks), political peer pressure, and an over-reliance on military solutions risked leading him to foolish and fatal decisions”, she continues.

According to Stranne, Kennedy also understood the importance of avoiding symbolic actions to satisfy public opinion – but lacked strategic thinking.

“He realized that either he would contribute to an acceptable level of security for both the Soviets and the US, or no one would be safe”.

“Don’t have to be a pacifist”

Stranne points out that the Swedish diplomat Hans Blix similarly spoke of the need for “strategic empathy” – that is, it is the task of politicians to try to understand how other states or actors perceive the current situation, and what interests, fears or motives drive them to act as they do.

“This does not mean sympathizing with them, but having the wisdom to understand their perspective in order to anticipate the other’s actions and thus make wiser decisions yourself – and avoid endless wars and, in the worst case, nuclear war”, she explains.

“You don’t have to be a pacifist to talk about ending war and building a sustainable peace – in fact, you can be a staunch advocate of strong military defense. Nor do you need to be naïve about your opponent. But you do need to realize that more weapons alone can never bring stability and security as long as unresolved security dilemmas remain”, continues the peace researcher.

Looking away is the greatest cowardice

And above all, she stresses, our leaders need to abandon the idea that war can be understood in oversimplified terms of good and evil

“Looking away from your own responsibility in a conflict is the most cowardly and dangerous thing of all.”.

Stranne also points out that in all wars – without exception – there are also interests that profit from war and rearmament and that have very extensive resources at their disposal that they can use to influence the public and their worldview in various ways.

“We have endless knowledge of how this works and several horrifying examples of how we have been lured into senseless spirals of violence on false grounds. It is the role of the media to never lose sight of their task to critically examine power based on these experiences. And not to let social media feeds driven by emotions – and not by knowledge – define how war and peace should be described”, she concludes.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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