Swedish Air Force Grippen fighters seen while escorting a Lithuanian Air Force C-27J aircraft during a joint NATO military exercise in Siauliai, 1 April 2014. REUTERS / Ints Kalnins
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STOCKHOLM / COPENHAGEN, March 4 – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saw for the first time a majority of Swedes support NATO accession, according to a poll and indications that the political landscape may also change in a country long known for neutrality.
Sweden has not been at war since 1814 and has built its foreign policy on “non-participation in military alliances”. It remained neutral during World War II, even when neighboring Scandinavian countries were attacked during the Cold War.
A survey conducted by Demoskop on Friday, commissioned by the Aftonbladet newspaper, showed that 51% of Swedes are now in favor of NATO membership, up from 42% in January. Anti-accession people fell to 27% from 37%. This is the first time such a poll has shown a majority in favor.
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However, Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said joining NATO was not an easy decision, nor could it be rushed on the basis of recent events alone.
“Changing the doctrine of defense is a very big decision, so you don’t do it overnight and you can’t do it because of opinion polls,” he told a news conference in Copenhagen, where he met with his Danish and British counterparts. .
However, the Swedish Democrats, the third largest party in parliament, said on Friday that they were reconsidering their position, which could give a majority in parliament to those who want to join.
“We are analyzing the situation now, hour by hour more or less, we are looking at NATO, we are looking at other security cooperation and what we can do,” Aaron Emilson, Swedish Democrat foreign policy spokeswoman, told Swedish Radio.
“It is clear that at the moment everything is in a completely different light,” he said.
Sweden’s center-right opposition has long called for membership, but the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Greens and the Swedish Nationalist Democrats opposed the move.
The change reflects a reflection in Finland, a non-NATO member and close ally, where the head of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs described Russia’s attack on Ukraine as a wake-up call and “September 11 in Europe for Finns.” Read more
Klaes Levinson, director of the Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University, said close co-operation between Sweden and Finland, which includes joint military exercises and material purchases, means that if Finland joins, Sweden is also likely to join. .
“Sweden is closer than ever to joining NATO, but it will need a significant majority both in parliament and among the people. That will require the Social Democrats to change their minds, “Levinson said, adding that the process of admitting NATO members could also take time.
Sweden and Finland already have very close co-operation with NATO, and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in January that the two countries could join the alliance “very quickly” if they decide to apply for membership. He said on Friday that NATO had decided to further strengthen coordination.
“Both sides are now involved in all NATO consultations on the crisis,” Stoltenberg said.
Russia, which says it is conducting a “special operation” in Ukraine, has warned Sweden and Finland not to join NATO, saying it would have “serious military and political consequences”.
Sweden decided this month to send weapons to Ukraine, for the first time since 1939, Sweden sent weapons to a country at war. Read more
This was said on Friday by the British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace
it would be incomprehensible that Britain would not come and support Sweden.
“Sweden is part of the same family, so we will stand by Sweden, we will do everything possible to support both the military and in other ways,” he said.
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Report by Johann Alander in Stockholm and Nikolai Skidsgaard and Stein Jacobsen in Copenhagen, edited by William McLean and Toby Chopra
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