Equipping the Swedish railway costs billions but is necessary for NATO membership. That's what Anders Ekberg, professor of railway mechanics at Chalmers, tells Aftonbladet.
The issue is on the back burner after Jens Stoltenberg in Ekot's Saturday interview pointed out that NATO membership requires investments in Swedish infrastructure. The NATO Secretary General specifically mentions the Ore Road. Anders Ekberg says that the railway has great advantages with its enormous capacity - it is not sustainable to transport such large materials on roads - but then the railway must work.
- It is not possible to have a railway that collapses during a mobilization, then everything falls apart, he says.
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The US is said to be planning weapons stockpiles in the Nordics - Stubb positive
The US has plans to build a large weapons stockpile somewhere in the Nordic region when both Sweden and Finland are now members of NATO, Helsingin Sanomat reports.
Where the warehouse will be built has not been decided, but in an interview in the niche magazine Breaking Defense, US military officials say that Norway is an option. However, it is expected to cause a long diplomatic process. According to Helsingin Sanomat, both Sweden and Finland are interested.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb appeared in Yle on Saturday morning and was asked questions about the information.
- The more the US stores military equipment in Finland, the better it is for us. It's a kind of fire insurance, he said.
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The demand on Sweden from Stoltenberg: Invest more
Sweden must invest more in military and civilian infrastructure to meet NATO's requirements, says Jens Stoltenberg in Ekot's Saturday interview.
NATO's Secretary General believes that it is not NATO's job to say exactly how countries should proceed, but he still mentions the Malmbanan as an important connection line. NATO has specified requirements for how many soldiers can be transported for a certain period of time.
Even in healthcare, Sweden needs to improve capacity, says Stoltenberg. Investments are needed, but also improved ability to cooperate in a crisis situation.
In the event of a possible attack on the Baltics, Sweden must be able to receive wounded in the Mälardalen and in the east coast regions.
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