Sweden, goodbye pacifism: to arms 200 years later against the Tsar
The war in Ukraine ends Stockholm's historic neutrality, but in reality the country has been among the leading arms exporters for over 30 years
ROME – Over three billion euros in military aid: this is what Volodymyr Zelensky obtained in his European tour earlier this week. However, Friday 31 May was perhaps the most significant day: the Ukrainian president received Germany’s “yes” to the use of NATO weapons against targets in Russia, while in Stockholm, the Swedish capital, it military agreements with the leaders of five Nordic countries for further financing. In this context Sweden is back in the front row, making new announcements: the package rises to 9 billion three-year total of aid to Kiev, 6 billion of which for armaments and ammunition. “Our support will not stop” guaranteed Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, a member of the liberal-conservatives of the Moderate samlingspartiet.
The news seems to put a tombstone on the historic Swedish foreign policy which, thanks to decades of social-democratic majorities, was based on pacifism and neutrality through diplomacy, agreements to common security and great support for multilateral bodies. Contributing to this imagery which, according to several scholars, has made Sweden a “benefactor” on the international level, capable of “playing the role of agent of the common good” through “moral superpowers strong>”, the fact that the country has not been at war with anyone since 1814 and has followed a policy of military non-alignment even in the hottest phases, from the two conflicts world war to the Cold War. According to some, however, this “disengagement” could be attributed to the fact that Sweden is an overall weak nation, with a very large territory and just 10 million inhabitants.
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THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR AND MEMBERSHIP TO NATO
What overturned the “Sweden equals peace” equation, however, was the announcement of membership of NATO which came on26 May 2022 by Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist, just three months after the Russian military offensive in Ukraine. Last February, entry into the Atlantic Alliance was ratified. The last Swedish war was fought in 1814, against Norway, shortly after the kingdom of Stockholm had been part of the military alliance against Napoleon, moreover right alongside the Russia of the tsars. Since then, Sweden has decided to distance itself from the bellicose disputes between the great European powers. Perhaps the return of the Russian threat to Europe has caused the “never in NATO” vote to fall to 19% in popular polls, pushing the parties to support membership unanimously.
SINCE THE EARLY NINETY SWEDEN IS AMONG THE TOP ARMS EXPORTERS
In terms of the arms industry, however, Swedish dynamism is a little more long-lived. In the essay ‘From pacifism to armaments: revealing the paradox of the Swedish arms trade’, researcher Catarina Silva reports that for at least 30 years, and “despite its size”, the country “has produced weapons systems for all military branches – air, land and sea – thanks above all to huge investments in research and development”. Precisely due to the “uncommitted” nature of the country, the industry has mainly oriented itself towards exports. “It is a human right to feel safe” is the slogan chosen in 2020 by Saab, the leading national manufacturer.
But in Sweden the export of weapons, as well as in other countries, including Italy, must obtain authorizations: 797 those granted in 2023 for 28 billion crowns (2.45 billion euros). This was revealed by the latest report from the Inspectorate for Strategic Products (Isp), which reports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among the most interesting data is the fact that no Western country would be missing from the list of 56 buyers. However, the name of a state is “obscured”, which did not escape the international media, resulting in a reply from the ISP: “If we disclose this information, we risk breaking Sweden’s relations with that country , which means that the information is shrouded in secrecy.” These sales amount to 1.6 billion euros, or more than half of the total.