The End of Nordic Neutrality
Foreign Affairs, May 22 If Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambition in invading Ukraine was to rein in NATO, it had precisely the opposite effect. In April 2023, Finland joined the alliance, more than doubling the length of NATO’s border with Russia, and in March 2024, Sweden became a member as well. As U.S. President Joe […]
Sweden Plans $7 Billion in Military Aid to Ukraine for 2024-2026
Bloomberg, May 22 The Swedish government will provide Ukraine with military support worth 25 billion kronor ($2.3 billion) annually under a new three-year framework announced Wednesday. The military aid in the 2024-2026 period could take the form of equipment donations as well as financial contributions and support for procurement of defense materials, the government said […]
Putin’s Next Target May Be the ‘NATO Lake’
Bloomberg, May 9 With the addition this year of Sweden and last spring of Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Baltic Sea has been dubbed a “NATO lake” by some analysts. A glance at a map show that is largely (but not completely) true — the coastline has a couple of slivers of […]
The Eurovision Song Contest kicked off with pop and protests as the war in Gaza casts a shadow
The Hill, May 8 …Security is tight in the Swedish city, which expects an influx of some 100,000 Eurovision fans, along with tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters. Israel is a Eurovision participant, and demonstrations are planned on Thursday and Saturday against the Israel-Hamas war, which has left almost 35,000 Palestinians dead. Israel’s government warned […]
Sweden Tightens Security At Eurovision Amid Pro-Palestinian Protests
Time, May 7 Performers from across Europe and beyond will compete in the first semi-final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday, amid heightened security prompted by pro-Palestinian protesters objecting to Israel’s participation in the competition. The international songwriting competition kicked off over the weekend in Malmo, Sweden. The city already expected about 100,000 […]
Sweden’s top officer on the ‘mental transition’ of joining NATO and Russian concerns
Breaking Defense, May 7 Gen. Micael Byden was appointed Supreme Commander of Sweden’s military in 2015, a job whose requirements changed dramatically in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and after 200 years of military non-alignment, Stockholm moved to join NATO. Incorporating Sweden into NATO, Byden told Breaking Defense during a recent visit to Washington, was […]
Saab 35 Draken Fighter Was Built for a War with Russia in the Skies
The National Interest, May 5 The Saab 35 Draken, a groundbreaking Cold War era fighter, was Sweden’s response to the escalating threats from the USSR. Introduced as the first Western European airframe with supersonic capabilities, the Draken also pioneered the double delta wing configuration and was the first to perform the Cobra maneuver. Designed to […]
U.S. Aircraft Carriers Keep Getting ‘Sunk’ by ‘Old’ Diesel Attack Submarines
The National Interest, May 4 Naval exercises have repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of diesel-electric submarines against much larger and technologically advanced adversaries. Notable instances include the Swedish Gotland-class submarine’s virtual defeat of the USS Ronald Reagan during a 2005 war game and similar successes by German and Australian submarines against other U.S. carrier strike groups […]
Former Syrian general faces trial in Stockholm over alleged role in war crimes
The trial of a former Syrian army general over his alleged role in war crimes committed in 2012 in his home country started at a Stockholm court, a first according to a human rights organization