Sweden | The nuclear weapons issue rubbed the government's and the opposition's discussion about Sweden's new identity

What kind of is Sweden's role in NATO? This was outlined by the country's foreign minister Tobias Billström in the statement he presented on the government's foreign and security policy on Wednesday in Stockholm's parliament hall.

According to Billström, Sweden's foreign and security policy got a new identity when the country's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was finally ratified on Thursday, March 7.

As a member of NATO, Sweden wants to be a solidary, reliable and credible ally.

According to Billström, this means, for example, committing to the two percent goal of defense spending set by NATO and strengthening one's own economy and defense. In addition, according to him, it means commitment to the planned defense cooperation of the northern neighbors, but also cooperation to secure the territories of all member countries.

“We are now part of an alliance with 32 members, and we have taken the responsibility to defend the territory of all 32 countries,” Billström said after a discussion at the Swedish Parliament on Wednesday.

Swedish press in the interview the foreign minister named Sweden's contribution to membership, along with submarines and fighter planes, the desire to develop defense also in space, for example in terms of satellite communication and technology.

According to Billström, Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine has shown the importance of satellite communication in terms of Ukraine's defense capability.

“The importance of space will grow in NATO's security issues. Sweden is and wants to be a leading space nation and intends to act according to this principle in NATO,” Billström told Dagen Nyheter in the interview.

A statement According to him, Russia's attack in Ukraine is illegal. In his speech, Billströmin said that Sweden's NATO membership is the result of an “unprovoked and unfounded” war of aggression.

In addition, according to the minister, Russia's threats to use nuclear weapons are irresponsible.

Nuclear weapons were also the biggest point of contention in the discussion between the opposition and the government parties after the minister's speech.

The regulation of the use of nuclear weapons already worried the opposition parties, the Green Party and the Left Party before Sweden's NATO membership was ratified.

Both the left-wing party and the greens demand that before the ratification of membership, Sweden enacts a nuclear weapons ban by law. In their speeches, the representatives of the parties have referred to Finland, where the Nuclear Energy Act prohibits the import of nuclear explosives.

Now the left party and the greens demand that the government write in the DCA military cooperation agreement concluded with the United States that there must be no nuclear weapons on Swedish soil.

For the Swedish government, on the other hand, it is enough to declare that nuclear weapons are not relevant in the country during peacetime. The Social Democrats, Sweden Democrats and the Center Party support the government's vision.

Finland's DCA agreement also allows advance storage of US weapons in Finland. Like the Swedish agreement, Finland's agreement does not limit nuclear weapons out with a separate entry, unlike, for example, Norway's corresponding agreement.

In addition, the reform of the Nuclear Energy Act prohibiting the importation of nuclear explosives is included in the Finnish government program to be done by 2026. Reformation the reasons are related, among other things, to facilitating the construction of modular small nuclear reactors.

Swedish according to the left party and the greens, in addition to signing the agreement, the country should demand that NATO guarantee that the member countries of the military alliance will not be the first to use nuclear weapons.

According to the foreign minister, a demand like this could expose the union to blackmail.

The foreign minister said that the government has not changed its position on the issue of nuclear weapons.

“When we decided to join NATO, the government made it very clear that we are not going to use nuclear weapons on Swedish territory in peacetime. I have expressed that now as well. There is no change in this matter, we are doing exactly the same policy as before,” said Billström.

According to him, nuclear weapons are part of NATO's deterrence capability and member countries should stand behind it.

Parliamentary parties to the criticism, Billström answered in the discussion that no country can be forced to acquire nuclear weapons against its own will.

According to him, Sweden has already taken a clear position for tens of years that visiting armed forces are not allowed to bring nuclear weapons into the country, and other countries have respected this view until now.

Billström did not answer in the discussion whether the government intends to add a mention of nuclear weapons to the DCA agreement.