Sweden spends less money on defense – compared to after the Second World War

earthpressnews

Since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine, the focus has been on Sweden’s as well as Europe’s defense capabilities.

Daniel Waldenström, professor of economics, has investigated how much money Sweden spends on defense from a historical perspective.

The war in Ukraine

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  • Therefore, Russia is converting tanks into “turtles”

    • Before World War II, Sweden’s defense budget was roughly at the same level as in the years before 2022, before Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.

    Up to ten percent of GDP

    But there is a big difference. The reaction to the war was significantly stronger in terms of money after the Second World War broke out.

    Sweden went from spending half a percent of the country’s GDP on defense, to levels of eight to ten percent of GDP.

    – In Sweden, we have not had the same rise in defense spending after the outbreak of the Ukraine war, says Daniel Waldenström.

    See more in the clip above.

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