NATO

To the surprise of some of my Russian friends, Sweden today decided to join NATO. While clearly in the cards for some time now, it is still strange to see it printed in black and white. Obviously, three months and one invasion can make quite a difference. 

Considering that Sweden has been deeply integrated in Western military planning and intelligence sharing ever since WWII, the fact that we are now officially applying to join NATO is perhaps mostly symbolic, yet, in the realm of international relations, also symbolic actions tend to matter. And even if fifty years have passed since Sweden was a country of orange telephone booths and Olof Palme sharply rebuked the US bombings in Vietnam, our room for independent diplomatic manoeuvring will probably be even smaller going forward. At the same time, I cannot help to point out the sheer hypocrisy when our prime minister Magdalena Andersson insists that Sweden will continue its work against nuclear weapons. However horrifying that nuclear weapons may be, it is the one factor that has prevented the war in Ukraine from engulfing all of Europe as the threat of a nuclear apocalypse has effectively constrained the actions of both sides. And, cutting through all the rhetoric, it is the protection of the US nuclear umbrella that is the reason that we are seeking to join NATO in the first place.