Sweden minister advises preparing public for potential war by drawing lessons from Ukraine

Sweden may be threatened with war, the country's Civil Defense Minister, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, said at the annual defense conference Folk och Försvar, The Local quotes him.

He also called on his compatriots to contribute to the defense.

More than 200 years without war should not give Swedes a false sense of security, he argues.

"All Swedes need to act now to boost the country’s resilience in the event of war. Peace is not an immoveable constant. Many have said it before me, but let me do so in an official capacity, more plainly and with naked clarity: There could be war in Sweden," said Bohlin.

Therefore he urged citizens to help build "total defense" of Sweden.

The minister also called on the Swedes to get inspired by the example of Ukraine, which met the full-scale invasion of Russia with "all-out resistance."

On August 19, 2023, Ukraine and Sweden detailed an agreement on the joint production of modern CV-90 armored infantry vehicles in Ukraine.

On December 8, Ukraine and Sweden discussed the possibility of transferring Gripen aircraft to the Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defense hopes that Ukraine will receive the aircraft, but there are certain issues related to NATO.

On December 11, Sweden announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth SEK 1.4 billion (about $134 million).