The NATO process

 

NATO soldier in Belgium. Francisco Seco / AP  

 

The NATO process The Summit in Vilnius  

NATO is equipping itself at record speed – plans have been leaked to the media  

 

NATO is building a new defense plan for Europe. At record speed they are preparing to be able to mobilize 300,000 soldiers at the Russian border, writes SvD. The details will be decided at the summit in Vilnius next week. It has already been known that the eastern flank is in focus. 

 

- It is important to build an ability to deter, says defense expert Franklin Kramer at the Atlantic Council to the newspaper. Parts of the plans have already been leaked to the media.  

 

The Economist reported earlier this week that in addition to classified plans for the three regional commands in the region, two so-called army staffs are being planned. One will be located in Wiesbaden, where the US Army has its European headquarters, and one will be located in Turkish Izmir.  

 

Michael Claesson, Chief of Defense Staff. Henrik Montgomery/TT  

 

The NATO process|Sweden's application 

"Delayed NATO membership not risk-free for Sweden" 

 

If Swedish NATO membership is further delayed, Sweden risks ending up in a kind of limbo. This is what Chief of Defense Staff Michael Claesson tells DN.  

 

Sweden has indeed received concrete promises of protection from NATO countries such as the USA and Great Britain, but it does not have the same deterrent effect as NATO's Article 5, says Claesson.  

 

- I think you should be honest about that. Of course, this represents a vulnerability that can be exploited. So I still see that there is an elevated risk that we need to be aware of. 

 

 

Swedish and Finnish soldiers during the military exercise Aurora/Archive. Tomas Oneborg/SvD/TT  

 

The NATO processFinnish 

NATO statement Finland's first conscripts since NATO entry underway  

 

This week, 12,000 Finnish conscripts began their military service. They will be the first to do so since joining NATO, Ekot reports.  

The content of the training is now adapted to NATO's rules. For example, English will be used more, according to the Finnish Armed Forces.  

 

- Some things will certainly change, especially cooperation with other countries. It's going to be exciting, says Odessa Holmberg, who has just started her military service at Nyland's brigade. 

 

Gennady Gatilov Fabrice Coffrini / AP  

 

The NATO process|Voices on the NATO question  

Russian UN ambassador: Can direct robots at Sweden  

 

Russia's UN ambassador Gennadij Gatilov thinks it is a mistake for Sweden to join NATO. He says so in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet. 

 

- Russia will see Sweden as part of NATO's infrastructure. We have military plans for how we will then act, says Gatilov.  

 

According to him, one possibility is to direct Russian robots towards Sweden. He says that much depends on whether there will be NATO installations on Swedish soil or not, but that regardless, Russia will not "look at Sweden with the same eyes as before".