DISINFO: Provocations are used to attract Sweden into NATO
SUMMARY
Sweden has for many years observed a policy of neutrality. While the country belongs to the Western civilisation, it has not joined NATO. Lately, Sweden has started to sharply increase its military expenses. The Minister of Defence, Peter Hultqvist, presented a new military budget for the period 2021 – 2025 with the largest spendings on the military since the 1950s. The defence spending will be raised from 60 billion Swedish krona to 87 billion – that is a 40 percent increase. As the United States is Sweden’s thrid largest export market and US corporations is the largest in Sweden, the economic dependence is devoloping into a political one. Sweden is a member of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. 500 Swedish servicemen are under NATO command in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Provocations are used to attract Sweden into NATO.
RESPONSE
Several misleading and false statement on Swedish Foreign and Security Policy. Sweden is, and was during the Cold War, not "neutral" but non-aligned. This policy has evolved into a policy of "military non-participation in military alliances during peacetime and neutrality during wartime".
It is true that Sweden - just as Russia - is a member of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, but Sweden is since 2014 not contributing to the ISAF in Afghanistan. Currently, 17 Swedish personnel is serving under NATO command in international missions.
A fact-sheet on Sweden's foreign and security policy can be found here.