Swedish alarm after defense chiefs’ war warning
Top defense officials in Sweden have issued a warning to the public to brace for the possibility of war, leading to concerns and accusations of alarmism.
Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, speaking at a defense conference, stated, “There could be war in Sweden,” a sentiment echoed by military commander-in-chief Gen Micael Byden, who urged all Swedes to mentally prepare for such an eventuality.
Opposition politicians criticized the tone of the warnings, with former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson acknowledging the serious security situation but emphasizing that war is not an imminent threat.
The stark messaging, despite its alarming nature, is being viewed as a wake-up call for Sweden, which has enjoyed over two centuries of peace. The country is on the verge of joining the NATO defensive alliance, pending approval from Turkey’s parliament and subsequently from Hungary.
Gen Byden clarified that his intention was not to instill fear but to encourage people to contemplate their situation and responsibilities, citing recent experiences in Ukraine and ongoing collaborations with other nations.
While the civil defense minister stressed that the aim was not to induce anxiety, but rather to raise awareness, critics argue that the officials should have provided age-appropriate information, especially as reports indicate an increase in concerned calls from youngsters who have come across news reports or social media discussions about the possibility of war.
Despite the controversy surrounding the warnings, the call for heightened awareness has been extended to local authorities, emergency planners, and individuals across the country.
“If there is one thing that keeps me awake at night, it is the feeling that things are moving too slowly,” Mr Bohlin told the Society and Defence conference on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Sweden during the conference to work with his country and others to manufacture weapons and “get stronger together”.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson added that in 2024, Sweden would meet NATO’s target of spending 2% of economic output (GDP) on military defense, doubling its spending since 2020.
Defense specialist Oscar Jonsson said the tone of the warnings from defense chiefs was something of a storm in a teacup and that 90% of what had been said arose from frustration that too little was being done to build a civil and military defense.
“Time is limited and it was aimed at being a wake-up call for agencies, individuals, and departments,” he told the BBC.
“The Swedish armed forces are incredibly competent, but the scale is nowhere near. The latest defense bill says we should set up 3.5 brigades, whereas Ukraine had 25 when the war started.”
Gen Byden’s warning to prepare mentally for war comes hard on the heels of a warning a month ago from the head of Poland’s National Security Bureau (BBN), Jacek Siewiera, who said that “to avoid war with Russia, countries on Nato’s eastern flank should adopt a three-year time horizon to prepare for confrontation”.
He said a German Council on Foreign Relations report suggesting Germany and NATO should prepare their armed forces to be able to fend off a Russian attack in six years was “too optimistic”.
Oscar Jonsson, a specialist from the Swedish Defence University, said that while war was a possibility, it would require several factors to fall into place: Russia’s war in Ukraine coming to an end, its military having the time to rebuild and rearm its fighting force and for Europe to lose US military support.
All of which were within the realms of possibility, he added.
