A priority issue from the Swedish side in the NATO discussion has been the type of support that can wait from other countries until Sweden is covered by the alliance’s joint protection.
The United States and the United Kingdom, among others, have promised to support in various ways, including the United States through an increased military presence in Sweden’s immediate area during the application process and the United Kingdom through a political declaration of solidarity stating that Sweden would be rescued in various ways in an attack, including with military average.
No guarantee
But what these promises would really mean in the unlikely event of a military attack on Sweden is not clear, according to ÖB Micael Bydén.
– There are some countries that have clearly stepped out and said that they want Sweden and Finland to become members, and that “we are prepared to support during this period”. Basically, it is very positive, but what it means in practice if something happens, you do not know. It is not a guarantee, in the same way as a binding agreement would be, he says.
However, he does not see that the situation that has arisen as a result of Turkey’s opposition to Sweden’s and Finland’s application, which may involve a much longer process than many expected, means something new for Swedish security.
– I think those who had expected this straight highway from the application to full membership had too high expectations, he says.
– But for the Armed Forces, it really does not mean more than that we continue to do our job. We must be the relevant partner, we must deliver what we can, not only to NATO but also make sure to solve the security tasks at home, he continues.
Counter-reactions awaited
In connection with Sweden announcing its intention to join NATO, ÖB said that counter-reactions in various forms were to be expected, with everything from verbal threats to influence operations, sabotage or cyber attacks. But he can not account for any such serious reactions that the defense has had to deal with since the application was submitted.
– Exercise activities in our immediate area are lower than usual. The conventional (Russian) forces are bound in the direction of Ukraine, but what we see is the harsh rhetoric. It has existed over time but has become sharper in the contours. I can not take any other examples here and now.
He follows developments in the war in Ukraine with horror, now that Russia is placing increasing focus on Donbass in the eastern parts, a warfare that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky likened to genocide.
– It is a terrible situation in Ukraine. It is probably impossible to understand how much the Ukrainian people are suffering. But at the same time, they offer absolutely fantastic resistance, says Micael Bydén.