Swedish opposition concerned as military deal with US reaches parliament

As the Swedish parliament is expected to vote on a defence cooperation agreement that will give the US access to several Swedish military bases, the opposition and civil society have expressed concern about the deal’s vague wording on nuclear weapons that could be hosted on Swedish soil.

Parliament is expected to vote on Tuesday on the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), which would give the US access to 17 Swedish military bases, despite concerns from the opposition and part of civil society.

The deal was announced a few months before Sweden joined the NATO alliance in late 2023. Thus, it is a separate agreement with the US and not part of NATO cooperation. It requires Sweden to protect US use of the bases and allow US forces to move freely throughout the territory.

However, according to opposition Green Party spokesperson Daniel Helldén, the agreement opens the door to nuclear weapons on Swedish soil, increasing the country's security risks.

“The fact that there are no grounds for nuclear weapons in peacetime basically means that they can be used in wartime,” Helldén said in a debate on the radio programme P1 Morgon on Monday, adding that the wording was “too vague”.

In response, Defence Minister Pål Jonson said that fears of nuclear weapons on Swedish soil were unfounded.

“Sweden is a sovereign country, and it is Sweden that decides what types of weapons we bring in. The Swedish parliament has determined that we have no need for permanent bases or nuclear weapons on Swedish territory,” Jonson said.

However, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the conservative Moderate Party made it clear last month that the country could indeed host nuclear weapons in times of war.

“If there is a war with us on our land, which Sweden is drawn into after an attack by others, then it is a completely different situation. Then the whole of NATO benefits from the nuclear umbrella that must exist in democracies as long as countries like Russia have nuclear weapons,” Kristersson told P1.

This ambiguity is also worrying some members of the civilian population, who have called for a referendum on the issue in an article published in the daily Aftonbladet and signed by 92 intellectuals, academics and professionals.

“It means that Sweden's defence is in practice made part of the US military,” the article reads. “This undoubtedly raises the question of whether the DCA would mean increased security for Sweden or whether there is instead an increased risk of our country becoming involved in conflicts that do not directly concern us and of Sweden thus being involuntarily drawn into war.”

Moreover, the agreement could contribute to undermining Sweden's policy of détente, the signatories said.

Nevertheless, the agreement is expected to be approved by a majority of parliament lawmakers.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)