Not strong alone – who can be trusted when it comes to Sweden?

The list is not interestingly long

There is no strength alone. Sweden is known for being a small non-aligned country on the outskirts of northern Europe.

So we need friends.

But who can Sweden trust – really?

Sweden Lies with Finland Linked between Russia and the Western Defense Alliance NATO.

Sweden needs friends. If it had been forgotten, the Ukraine crisis would have been a clear reminder.

But who can we trust when Sweden is really important? The list is not very long.

1. Finland. Non-aligned Finland is a close security partner of Sweden. Security cooperation between the two countries is already extensive and growing month by month.

This may seem relaxing.

But the friendship suffered a major setback in December last year. Finland announces withdrawal from Swedish Defense Pearl Jas 39 Gripen as it buys SEK 100 billion new fighter jets for its air force.

Instead, they chose to buy the American F35 from Lockheed Martin.

The Swedish disappointment is huge. Some felt it was a betrayal: even the Finns could not be fully trusted. Even in this case friendship had its limits.

2. European Union. Sweden has been a member of the European Union for 27 years. It’s about a long-term relationship. But not as safe as many thought.

The Lisbon Treaty, which came into force at the end of 2009, contains a so-called well-known protection rule. This means that “if one member state is under armed attack on its border, other member states are obliged to provide support and assistance to that member state in all possible ways.”

But despite the well-known clause, Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson and her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin were forced to write a letter to the head of the Council of Europe and 25 other heads of government in the European Union. They did so recently ahead of discussions at the informal EU summit in France over the weekend.

On what basis do Anderson and Marin’s concern that this rule has been forgotten by other nations? You never know.

The only thing we know is that the two prime ministers do not seem to believe that they will get help from other members of the EU if needed.

I would call it particularly annoying.

NATO As the Ukraine crisis really intensified in late January, Foreign Minister Ann Linde and her Finnish counterpart NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met in Brussels.

After the meeting, Stoltenberg said Sweden and Finland were NATO’s most important partners.

Sounded relaxed. But did not extend to the security guarantees described in Section 5 of the NATO Agreement. This only applies to members, as Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly stated. One should not believe anything else – despite his warm words.

4. USA. Finnish President Sauli Ninisto quickly met with US President Joe Biden this weekend. During the meeting, the presidents invited Magdalena Andersson.

As a result, it is known that military cooperation between the three countries will expand.

But what does that mean in practice? This is not very clear yet. Probably nothing.

5. United Kingdom. Last weekend, Defense Minister Peter Hultquist and his British counterpart Ben Wallace met in Copenhagen.

Wallace promised that Sweden could count on Britain’s help if we became victims of Russia’s aggression.

But what does this promise mean? Hope we never know. Only in the case of a Russian occupation does it become clear whether it is a matter of blue smoke. Or “ground boots”, as military enthusiasts generally say, ground boots.

Who can you trust when it comes to Sweden? The list does not impress.

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