Swedish rulers are urging their population to “prepare for war.” People living in Sweden should be ready to face Russia in a confrontation.

In a speech on Sunday, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom hailed his country’s expected membership in NATO as “the biggest change in Swedish security policy in more than 200 years.” However, he also warned that “Russia will constitute a serious threat to the security of Sweden and Europe for the foreseeable future.” He added that Stockholm “must be realistic and assume – and be prepared for – a drawn-out confrontation.”

Echoing the sentiment, Defense Minister Pal Jonson said, “war can also come to us,” claiming that Ukraine is acting as “Europe’s shield” in the conflict with Russia.

Considering most of Ukraine’s financial aid is coming from the West, it’s actually not so much a shield as a proxy, but most of us already know that. There’s always a chance that the United States or other Western countries could be pulling into a war as well. If not this one between Russia and Ukraine, perhaps the one between Israel and the rest of the Middle East.

Ukraine War: Joe Biden Says The U.S. Could Be “Pulled In Directly”

Last year, Sweden ditched its policy of non-alignment in favor of joining NATO, citing Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, which was launched in February 2022. The neighboring state of Finland opted for the same, joining NATO in April 2023.

According to a report by RT, Moscow has stated that NATO’s continuing expansion towards Russia’s western borders, as well as the refusal to rule out Ukrainian membership in the future, are among the key causes of the ongoing conflict. Russia sees NATO as a threat to national security. Russia has also already clearly stated that the deliveries of weapons and financial assistance to Kiev make NATO countries de facto participants in this war.

Will Russia eventually consider those countries “fair game” when it comes to offensive military movements?
Russia Vows To Respond To NATO Expansion in Finland and Sweden

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced recently that 800 Swedish soldiers will be deployed in Latvia next year to reinforce the 2,000 Canada-led troops stationed there as part of the military bloc’s Enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltic states.