Sweden wants to intervene militarily if an EU country is attacked. “Since we joined the EU, we’re not really neutral anymore,” said Prime Minister Andersson.
In view of a possible Russian threat, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has also emphasized from EU states that her country would then intervene militarily. “Since we joined the EU, we are no longer really neutral,” she said on Monday after a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In the EU there is an obligation to provide assistance, Sweden will also help partners militarily in an emergency.
Sweden has so far not been a member of a defense alliance like NATO, Andersson said. But there is now a domestic political discussion as to whether this should change. The security situation in the Baltic region has been deteriorating for a long time.
Submarines in Swedish territorial waters
Sweden repeatedly complains that unknown submarines – presumably from Russia – are penetrating Swedish sovereign waters. Andersson announced that Sweden would increase its military spending to two percent of economic output. This is also the target of the NATO countries.
Scholz emphasized that the EU assistance clause is not an empty promise. “When it comes down to it, that’s also something you can count on,” he said. A clause is anchored in the EU treaty that stipulates mutual protection in the event of attacks. NATO also provides for an obligation to provide assistance.
Asked whether Sweden could be a role model for Ukraine, the prime minister stressed that every country has the right to decide for itself where it wants to be a member. Russia is opposed to Ukraine joining NATO. So far, the Ukrainian government has been aiming for both NATO and EU membership.
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