He called Russia “strategically erratic” and said the Kremlin posed “a variety of different types of threats,” including “conventional military violence” and hybrid warfare, which he described as “exploiting vulnerabilities in society.”
Sweden applied to join NATO together with Finland shortly after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 and became the alliance’s 32nd member in March.
Russia has repeatedly threatened to attack NATO and its allies in recent years. Moscow’s top diplomat said earlier this month that it is “fully ready” for war with the alliance’s Arctic members, of which Sweden is one.
Sweden’s outgoing defense chief Micael Bydén warned in May that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “has both eyes” on the Swedish island of Gotland.
“If Russia takes control and seals off the Baltic Sea, it would have an enormous impact on our lives — in Sweden and all other countries bordering the Baltic Sea. We can’t allow that,” Bydén said.