Gotland is located in the middle of the Baltic Sea, Sweden’s accession to NATO makes the island even more strategically important. The country’s commander-in-chief fears Russian attacks – and dangers from ailing oil tankers.
It was only in April of this year that troops practiced an emergency on Sweden’s largest island. Now the commander-in-chief of the Swedish armed forces, Micael Bydén, once again warned emphatically against Russia’s power ambitions in the Baltic Sea. “I’m sure Putin even had both eyes on Gotland. Putin’s goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea,” the army chief told the newspapers of the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
Commander-in-Chief Micael Bydén (r., 2017) Photo: Johan Ahlander/ REUTERS
“If Russia takes control and closes off the Baltic Sea, it would have an enormous impact on our lives – in Sweden and all other Baltic Sea countries. We must not allow that,” Byden said. The Baltic Sea must not become Putin’s playground where he terrifies NATO members.”
From Gotland, Sweden could help other NATO countries on the Baltic Sea to live in safety. “But if Putin invades Gotland, he can threaten NATO countries from the sea. That would be the end of peace and stability in the Nordic and Baltic regions,” Byden said.
He also warned of a catastrophe caused by old Russian oil tankers in the Baltic Sea. “Russia could cause an environmental disaster right on our doorstep and make it look like an accident. The consequences for the environment would be devastating,” Bydén told the RND newspapers. The Russian oil tankers are a “real danger to the environment in Europe”.
However, Russia could also use these ships in other ways to wage war against NATO, Bydén said. “There is no better way for Russia to sneak up on us than to disguise itself as an old oil tanker. With the ships, they can eavesdrop on our communications, secretly transport something, or use them for underwater sabotage.”
Schweden hielt sich lange neutral
Schweden war am 7. März als 32. Land der Nato beigetreten. Die schwedische Regierung hatte den Schritt kurz zuvor formell beschlossen. Der schwedische Beitritt ist aus strategischen Gründen attraktiv, weil damit die gesamte Ostseeküste – mit Ausnahme der Küste Russlands und seiner Exklave Kaliningrad – Nato-Gebiet ist.
The last step for official accession was to deposit the instrument of accession with the US State Department. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken received Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and his Foreign Minister Tobias Billström in Washington in March.
For around 200 years, Sweden had committed itself to neutrality and military non-alignment. This meant that Sweden, like its neighbor Finland, had to rely on its own military capabilities.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine fundamentally changed the situation. Under the impression of developments in Ukraine, Sweden decided to apply for NATO membership in 2022. This also applies to Finland, which was welcomed as the 31st member of the alliance in April last year.
Der Spiegel
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