Sweden Finland is a guarantee of Swedish peace – Sweden fought with Russia for centuries, until Finland became a buffer, and now we are still guiding Sweden to NATO security.

Spring had been a diabolical time. Russian soldiers had arrived in Helsinki. The Swedish army had retreated to the islands off the town to the fortress of Sveaborg – in Finnish, Viapori, now called Suomenlinna.

Russia fought an information war. Distorted allegations were made in Viapori that the Russian siege forces were large and powerful. On the other hand, rumors were circulated that if the fortress surrendered, the kindness of the Russians could be trusted.

Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces in Helsinki in Viapori Carl Olof Cronstedt was waiting for auxiliary troops from Stockholm. They never came. Cronstedt made a controversial and fatal decision. On Tuesday, May 3, 1808, Viapori surrendered.

Later myself Runeberg branded Cronstedt a traitor, and historians still dispute the reasons for the surrender.

Sveaborg was the pearl of fortresses for Sweden, and its loss was a great moral setback. Sweden’s war plan also collapsed. In a few months, it was clear that things were going badly. Eastern Sweden, or the territory of Finland, came under Russian rule.

This marked the beginning of a new era in Finnish history. But it also started for Sweden. The Finnish war of 1808–09 is still the last time that Sweden has fought with Russia.

Before that, warlike Sweden had fought with its eastern neighbor for centuries. Opposite had been Novgorod or Russia, and at any time an authoritarian expansionist. The fighting between Sweden and Russia had been going on all the way to what is now Ukraine.

The war ended when Finland became a buffer. Finland first protected Sweden as an autonomous region of Russia, then as an independent state.

Sweden could focus on building a new identity as a land of peace and a moral superpower. So in recent years, Sweden has been able to boast that it has not fought for more than 200 years.

Finland has since fought for that too. After all, support has come from Sweden, but there is no denying that there have been moments in history when even a little more solid friend help would have been welcome.

Nowin May 2022, Finland decided that the former expenditure would no longer work.

It was a little exciting whether or not there would be support from Stockholm. Now Sweden did not disappoint. On Tuesday, the Foreign Minister Ann Linde signed Sweden’s application for membership of NATO.

Although the relationship between NATO and Russia is cold, it is good to remember that in its 73-year history, NATO has never attacked the Soviet Union or Russia. And not the other way around.

So if Sweden is accepted into NATO, it will be well placed to continue its long period of non-warfare with Russia. And since without Finland Sweden would not have applied for NATO, it can be said that the Finns have kept Sweden on the path to peace.