Sweden is "not at war, but not at peace either"

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson declared on January 12 that Sweden is not at war, but cannot be considered to be living in peacetime either, while emphasizing the "hybrid war" type attacks, acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea and the proxy war taking place on the country's territory.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. (Source: Arab News)

In recent months, several telecommunications cables and underground power lines under the Baltic Sea have been severed, in what many Swedish experts believe is part of a Russian-orchestrated operation.

At the annual defence forum Folk och Forsvar in Salen, Prime Minister Kristersson asserted that "Sweden is not at war, but it is not at peace either. True peace means the absence of serious conflicts between nations".

"We and our neighbors are facing hybrid attacks that do not use missiles or soldiers but through computers, money, disinformation and sabotage threats," Mr. Kristersson stressed.

On December 25, 2024, the Estlink 2 power line and four telecommunications cables connecting Finland and Estonia were damaged. This followed the cutting of two Swedish telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea on November 17-18.

Tensions in the Baltic Sea region have increased since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

Previously, in September 2022, a series of underwater explosions also damaged the Nord Stream pipeline system that carries Russian gas to Europe. The cause of these incidents is currently unknown. In October 2023, the undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was closed after a Chinese cargo ship damaged it with an anchor.

Prime Minister Kristersson did not name any country responsible for sabotaging the cables. However, speaking of hybrid threats in the region, he said that “the threat from Russia is likely to persist for some time to come” and that the Swedish government was “taking this issue seriously”.

Sweden is currently living in "an era of proxy wars", he said.

Additionally, in May 2024, the Swedish Intelligence Service (Sapo) accused Iran of recruiting members from criminal gangs, including children, to "represent" them in carrying out "violent acts" against Israeli interests and other targets in the Nordic country.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-kristersson-thuy-dien-khong-trong-tinh-trang-chien-tranh-nhung-cung-khong-hoa-binh-300695.html