สวีเดนไม่ได้ดำเนินนโยบายเป็นกลางอีกต่อไป The Ukraine crisis means that Sweden is also, in a way, at war.

( From Abtonbladet  2022-02-26 )

Sweden will have to pay because we are against Putin

Lena Mellin

We are also at war - in a way

Russia is our enemy, Ukraine our friend

PUBLISHED: LESS THAN 50 MIN THEN

COLUMNISTS

The Ukraine crisis means that Sweden is also, in a way, at war.

Not as a warring party.

But we are against Putin and for Ukraine and have to pay for it.

The day after Magdalena Andersson was elected Prime Minister, she read out her government declaration in the Riksdag. There she said, among other things:

“Sweden will not be passive if a catastrophe or an attack hits another country in the Nordic region or in the EU, and we expect these countries to act in the same way if we ourselves are hit. ”

The wording was by no means surprising. It is part of the security policy line that has been in place for quite some time.

But now we are there. The words have become reality. When Russia booted into Ukraine completely unprovoked early on Thursday morning, we chose the side.

Not a little Swedish soft. But clearly and real, despite the fact that Ukraine is neither in the EU nor in the Nordic countries.

But in this conflict, fundamental values ​​such as democracy and national self-determination are at stake and Sweden is part of the war against Russia.

Not as a warring party. It is, so far, only Ukraine and the attacker Russia. But through a position that is clear.

EXTERNAL LINK FROM SWEDEN FOR UNHCR

"Unprovoked, illegal, indefensible," Magdalena Andersson described the Russian invasion of Ukraine and participated half a day later in the decision on the harshest sanctions to date against Russia.

The war will cost. Even for us, in non-warlike Sweden.

• Export of defensive weapons. Exactly what is meant by defensive weapons is unclear. It can be anything from field hospitals, demining and radar to more offensively similar equipment.

At present, the Minister of Defense, Peter Hultqvist, has been commissioned to ask the Armed Forces to draw up a list of what Sweden could contribute. The opposition is on.

Ukraine's ambassador to Sweden has asked for both defensive weapons, financial and humanitarian aid. Sweden already supports Ukraine with a quarter of a billion kronor a year. But there can be more.

• Minus in the wallet. The Stockholm Stock Exchange has fallen sharply since the New Year. The Moscow stock market crashed more or less the day after the invasion.

This affects not only companies but also small savers, such as pension savers. Equity funds are among Sweden's most common forms of savings.

It must be foreseen that the financial turmoil will continue for the foreseeable future. It will go up, and it will go down.

• Higher prices, difficult for companies. The world market price of oil has already led to sharply higher prices for petrol and diesel. There is no reason to believe that this development will be broken.

The connection of the European electricity market to the price of Russian gas means that one can also expect continued high prices for electricity.

Food prices can also go up. Ukraine, Europe's barley table, is one of the world's largest producers of wheat.

There is also reason to believe that Sweden's most important trading partners, many of which are in the EU, will be negatively affected by the crisis. It is contagious in a small export-dependent country. How much is of course too early to say.

• More money for the defense. The Defense Committee has been called in quickly and will give its views on 15 March. The moderates want to give the Armed Forces three billion more.

There is no question of any Swedish neutrality. We have chosen side. Punishes the attacker Russia, supports the target of their aggression. We are in a way at war. Without holding the shutter button.

From Andersson's government declaration

The military freedom of alliance serves our country well and contributes to stability and security in northern Europe. Sweden will not apply for membership in NATO. Sweden will not be passive if a catastrophe or attack hits another country in the Nordic region or in the EU, and we expect these countries to act in the same way if we ourselves are hit. The EU is Sweden's most important foreign and security policy arena. Our ongoing presidency of the OSCE gives Sweden the opportunity to safeguard the European security order.

Read out in the Riksdag 30 November 2021