The Kubal aluminum smelter is the only one in Sweden. The aluminum ends up in Swedish cars, boats and buildings. It is owned by one of the world’s largest aluminum companies controlled by the controversial, pro-Putin oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The company is not under sanctions.
Oleg Deripaska, who is personally under sanctions in the US and the EU, has been accused by the US of, among other things, money laundering and murder, deeds he denies. According to Ukrainian prosecutors, Kubal’s Russian parent company Rusal has supplied raw materials to the Russian arms industry, and Deripaska’s companies also include a producer of military vehicles.
Requires the state to take over
Now the Center Party demands that Kubal be immediately taken over by the Swedish state.
– The parent company Rusal is part of the Russian military apparatus and a very important part of the Russian military-industrial complex. It is not fundamentally compatible with Swedish security interests that such an important company is under direct control from Moscow and Putin’s military apparatus, says Martin Ådahl.
Should the state run an aluminum industry?
– Rather not. But it is worse that it is owned and controlled by Moscow in such a security situation as we have in Europe now.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Difficult question”
Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) does not want to comment on the question of a possible nationalization of the Russian Sundsvall factory. But he is open to discussing sanctions against Russian aluminum.
– It’s a hard question. The government would like to see us expand the sanctions regimes and this is one such area. But I cannot here and now say what will be in the next sanction notice. However, we would like to work on this issue, says Tobias Billström.