Swedish and Danish statements have come amid a large navy buildup pushed by the EU and NATO
Sweden and Denmark may host NATO nuclear weapons, officers from each nations have stated.
The alleged ‘Russian risk’ has fueled discussions in Western Europe about increasing nuclear deterrence. Moscow has dismissed these issues as “nonsense.”
The EU has allotted €800 billion ($948 billion) for its ReArm Europe plan and NATO members have pledged to boost their spending on protection to five% of GDP.
Chatting with SR radio on Friday, Swedish Protection Minister Pal Jonson stated he was open to an expanded nuclear deterrence position, regardless of Sweden solely becoming a member of NATO in March 2024.
“If there have been to be struggle, we’d naturally take into account any possibility that would safe Sweden’s survival and Swedish safety,” he stated. Sweden was one of many early signatories of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty however doesn’t have a home legislation that explicitly bans such weapons.
Final month, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Stockholm was already discussing nuclear deterrence with two nuclear powers – France and the UK. Paris was notably open to ideas, he stated on the time. Britain’s nuclear missiles are at the moment all submarine-based.
Danish Protection Minister Troels Lund Poulsen additionally stated earlier this week he was “open to discussing all of it” when requested about Denmark’s willingness to host nuclear weapons or co-finance associated initiatives.
Earlier, Estonia additionally expressed an analogous want and Polish President Karol Nawrocki urged that Poland may develop its personal nuclear weapons program. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz informed the Munich Safety Convention in mid-February that he had mentioned EU-level nuclear deterrence with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Russia has repeatedly said that it poses no risk to any European nation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov additionally stated final week that Moscow must intention its nuclear weapons at nations which host nuclear arms aimed toward Russia when commenting on Tallinn’s willingness to welcome the deployment of such weaponry on Estonian soil.
