Sweden’s Prime Minister on Nuclear Weapons Deployment
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed openness to allowing nuclear weapons on Swedish soil in wartime. This comes as Sweden, a new member of NATO, faces calls to prohibit the deployment of such weapons.
Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States
The Swedish parliament is scheduled to vote on a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States in June. The agreement will grant the US access to military bases in Sweden, enabling the storage of military equipment and weapons.
Sweden’s decision to join NATO earlier this year marked a significant shift from its longstanding military non-alignment stance.
Controversy and Calls for Clarity
Various groups, including the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Association, have urged the government to explicitly state in the DCA that Sweden will not host nuclear weapons on its territory.
Despite assurances from the government about the consensus on nuclear weapons in Sweden and existing parliamentary decisions against their presence in peacetime, Prime Minister Kristersson emphasized the different considerations in wartime.
He highlighted the necessity for democratic countries in the region to defend themselves against nuclear threats, underlining that any decision regarding nuclear weapons in Sweden would be made internally, not dictated by the US.
Kristersson emphasized that the primary goal of Sweden’s NATO membership and defense strategy is to prevent such scenarios from unfolding, drawing parallels with the situation in Ukraine.
Sweden’s Social Democratic Party, which initiated the NATO membership process, previously indicated reservations against the deployment of nuclear weapons and permanent bases on Swedish soil.