American forces and nuclear weapons are opened to Sweden!
Legislators in Stockholm have just approved a controversial defense pact with Washington that would enable US forces to be present at 17 Swedish military bases and training camps, according to Russia Today. Critics believe that this agreement does not explicitly mention the ban on the transfer of US-used weapons to Sweden, and this is a worrying issue.
The defense cooperation agreement was signed in December last year between Paul Johnson and Lloyd Austin, the Swedish and American defense ministers, respectively, but needed parliamentary approval to become effective. Members of the Swedish Parliament almost unanimously (266 votes in favor, 37 against and 46 abstentions) agreed to this agreement.
Left-wing parties and greens have criticized this agreement and emphasized that it should be explicitly stipulated that Sweden will not host US nuclear weapons.
Emma Berginger, a member of the Swedish Parliament from the Green Party, pointed out that this agreement “does not close the door on nuclear weapons” and said: “We want to see a law that prohibits the entry of nuclear weapons into Swedish territory.”
The Union for Peace and Consolidation of Sweden, a non-profit anti-war organization, has criticized this action, stating that the agreement will escalate tensions and increase security risks against Sweden.
The head of this group, Kirsten Bergha, wrote in an article: Unlike the Norwegian and Danish defense cooperation treaties, the Swedish defense treaty does not include any clause against nuclear weapons. The constitution of Finland, which joined NATO in 2022, prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on the country’s soil, and this issue is also mentioned in the defense cooperation agreement signed with the United States.