Through two world wars and one cold war, Sweden remained neutral. But in March, the country officially broke with its 200-year-long tradition by becoming a NATO member. The Riksdag has now approved the new defense agreement with the USA, which was signed in December. This gives the Americans access to 17 Swedish military bases. They are also allowed to train, deploy military personnel and store defense equipment in Sweden. It was expected in advance that the agreement would be approved. Six out of eight parties in the Riksdag supported it. The exceptions were the Left Party and the Green Party. But the agreement has been debated. Paranoia in Russia The DCA agreement (Defense Cooperation Agreement) will ensure that the US can quickly come to Sweden’s aid in the event of a crisis. It should also give Nato a better ability to defend the Baltics and Finland, according to Sweden’s government. – We are experiencing the worst security situation in Europe since the Second World War, said the Sweden Democrats’ Aron Emilsson when he spoke in the Riksdag before the vote, reported Dagens Nyheter. The defense agreement gives the US access to 17 Swedish military bases. The turn towards the USA and NATO is a ground-breaking crossroads in Sweden’s mentality, self-understanding and security policy, believes Tormod Heier, professor of military strategy and operations. He emphasizes that the agreement is important for Sweden. In the last 30 years, the country has not prioritized large sums of money on defence, similar to Norway, among others. Thus, dependence on the United States has increased. From Russian eyes, the agreement is perceived as increased pressure, Heier believes. It can lead to more paranoia in the Russian chain of command: – Russia only reads one thing, and that is that the arch-rival in the west, the USA, has gained a much stronger military footprint in the whole of Northern Europe, he says to news. Tormod Heier is professor of military strategy and operations, professor-II at Høgskolen i Innlandet and docent at Försvarshögskolan in Stockholm. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / news He still expects no Russian military response after today’s decision. – They are, after all, a military gnat compared to the USA and NATO. Russia does not have the military capacity to stand up to this large alliance, says Heier. Russia nevertheless uses other “hybrid” measures in the so-called gray zone field, Heier believes. For example, sabotage actions and computer attacks, or attempts to spread unrest in the population and undermine solidarity with NATO and the USA. Does not follow Swedish law However, several have been afraid that the DCA agreement could weaken the Swedish authorities’ national control. The agreement states that the Americans must respect, but not necessarily follow, Swedish laws. In the extreme, Swedish law can be set aside, explains Heier. But this will only be in a crisis and when absolutely necessary. For example, if Sweden is unable to defend itself. The agreement was first signed in December 2023. Photo: Kevin Wolf / AP – It will be a shot in the arm when it comes to maintaining Swedish sovereignty, says Heier. Ahead of the vote on Tuesday, the Left Party’s Håkan Svenneling said that what Sweden has now done has long been unthinkable in Sweden: – We have given up territory to another country, emphasized Svenneling. The American soldiers are also exempt from Swedish jurisdiction. This means that they cannot be tried in a Swedish court. However, they will be prosecuted in the United States. Several Swedish politicians have been skeptical about this. They point out, for example, that Swedish laws on sexual crimes are more comprehensive than American ones. – In the worst case, this means that if American soldiers commit criminal acts, such as violence or sexual assault, they will not be prosecuted, says Tordmod Heier. Does not rule out nuclear weapons In contrast to the Norwegian and Danish DCA agreements, the Swedish agreement does not rule out the US being able to deploy nuclear weapons on Swedish soil. Soldiers in Gotland’s regiment fire with machine guns in a firing range. The military base outside Visby on Gotland is one of the bases the US has access to. Photo: Tom Little / Reuters Tormod Heier emphasizes that it is still the Swedish authorities who have the final say in the matter: – It is Sweden and the Swedish authorities who decide whether or not American nuclear weapons will come to the country. Many still wonder why the question is not better clarified. – It could be that the Swedish authorities do not have that experience and have not been as aware of these points as the more experienced alliance members in Sweden and Denmark have been. That could be one possible reason, says Heier. A similar debate took place in Norway in 2021, when Norway introduced a similar defense agreement. Interested in foreign affairs? Listen to the foreign affairs editor’s podcast here: Published 18.06.2024, at 21.47
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Sweden adopted a defense agreement – the US gets access to 17 bases – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
