Commander of the Swedish Defense Forces to EPN: The war in Ukraine can also expand to other countries | Foreign countries

Micael Bydén, the commander of the Swedish Defense Forces, has a bleak view of the war in Ukraine. The expansion of the war is also completely possible for him.

VISBY This year’s Almedalen politics week is For Micael Bydén the last as commander of the Swedish Defense Forces. The successor has already been chosen and the pension will arrive at the end of the year.

Bydén ends his career in a situation where the security policy situation in Sweden and especially Gotland is extremely tense. According to an old saying, whoever rules Gotland rules the entire Baltic Sea.

As a commander, Bydén’s situation is made easier by Sweden’s eventual NATO membership.

– We have always understood the importance of Gotland. It hasn’t changed, but now we can cooperate in the defense alliance.

– Now Gotland is important to even more people.

“The security situation is extremely serious”

Bydén was startled in the spring in an interview with a German newspaperwhere he said the president of Russia Vladimir Putin to be very interested in both Gotland and Åland. According to the Swedish Defense Forces, Bydén had been overinterpreted.

In Visby, however, Bydén repeats his understanding of the Russian war in Ukraine. On the stage of Iltapäivälehti Expressen, Bydén estimates that the war situation will get even worse before the turn for the better.

In an interview with , Bydén also considers it entirely possible that the war will expand beyond Ukraine’s borders.

– The twists and turns are quick and unpredictable, and no one can say that the situation could not get worse or that the war could not also expand elsewhere. It must be clear: it can happen.

– The situation is not like that right now, but we have to take that into account. The security situation is extremely serious.

Sweden has returned the defense forces to Gotland. According to the bilateral agreement In the future, the United States has the right to be present and for the storage of munitions on the island.

However, according to Bydén, the people of Gotland or tourists who came to the holiday island need not be afraid.

– No, no one needs to be afraid, that’s not the point. We must be aware of what a serious security situation requires.

– You have to prepare, because now it is still possible. We don’t know how long. That’s the most important thing now.