This op-ed is a contribution by the Moderate Party’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hans Wallmark, and does not necessarily reflect the views of UPF Lund and The Perspective.
There will be a time after the pandemic. And then Sweden will continue to navigate in somewhat difficult waters. Therefore, it is important to act together with others. Vital to us is European cooperation. The natural step would be to become a NATO member.
Russia poses a military threat in our immediate area. Since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, a war has been going on in eastern Ukraine. So far with around 13,000 dead, over 30,000 injured, and one million internally displaced.
Russia has shown that the boundary for using force, interfering with and exerting pressure on others is repeatedly violated. We are not only hearing soldiers marching with guns, but also disinformation, propaganda and sheer involvement in various countries’ election campaigns can also be observed.
At the same time, it is important to see China’s growing ambitions. It is an economic and technological threat against Europe – not least in telecommunications, 5G and the high-tech surveillance community that the Communist state created.
The cruelty has been made obvious with the imprisoned publisher Gui Minhai and the diplomatic outcomes that are being made against Swedish rights, such as freedom of information and demonstration.
To continue coordinated sanctions against Russia, uniting the EU behind a common China stance and continuously strengthening Swedish security through defense efforts are the best ways to deal with our uncertain world.
Hans Wallmark,
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Spokesperson
