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Yeah, but that is Sweden's "it's complicated" romance with NATO. An EU army would only become a reality if NATO somehow imploded. That would relationshipwise be convenient for Sweden, Finland and other non-NATO EU members, and awkward for NATO non-EU members Norway, Turkey and soon UK.
I believe it a good idea due to Russian activity in that region. I also believe it be a good idea for Finland to introduce this as well, if they have not already.
I believe it a good idea due to Russian activity in that region. I also believe it be a good idea for Finland to introduce this as well, if they have not already.
So, Sweden had it up until 2010, got rid of it, now needs it back? And the blame is on Russia? Yet the article states:
"Sweden is to reintroduce military conscription next year due to difficulties filling the ranks on a voluntary basis..."
That is it right there, everything us is spin to smooth over the fact not enough Swedes volunteer to maintain the current state of the Swedish military.
The official jargon is "because of the worsening security situation in our nearby areas". But we all know it's because of Russia.
Of course as mentioned, it's partly also because the military has been unable to fill their ranks.
The defence minister said the move was in response to a deteriorating security environment in Europe. “We are in a context where Russia has annexed Crimea,” Peter Hultqvist, the minister, told AFP. “They are doing more exercises in our immediate vicinity.” “We saw that our units could not be filled on a voluntary basis. A decision had to be taken to complement the (volunteer) system which is why we are reactivating conscription,” he added.
A resurgent Russia and tensions over Ukraine have prompted politicians to consider bolstering military capability while addressing the shortfall of people willing to pursue a career as a professional soldier. The lack of military preparedness has been exposed in recent years, such as when Russian warplanes carrying out a mock bombing run on Sweden in 2013 caught air defences off guard.
Norway has started to call up a bigger percentage of persons to serve, Finland is creating rapid deployment shock troops in order to combat possible Little Green Men. And we all know these men are not coming from Norway.
Finland's government has announced plans to strengthen its military by raising troop levels and increasing defense spending. Helsinki cited concerns over actions by neighboring Russia as a reason for the beef up.
Worried about increasing East-West tensions in the Baltic Sea, Finland announced plans on Thursday to increase its wartime troops by 20 percent, from 230,000 to 280,000.
Sweden is not in NATO, so Sweden is not obliged to fill the 2% of GDP requirement.
Don't confuse them with facts.
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