Sweden implementing desperate militarization measures, even without war

The country is considering recruiting the elderly in order to achieve its military goals.

Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.

Militarization plans in Europe continue to expand. Amid the Russophobic madness affecting the continent, some governments are taking drastic measures to “prepare for war.” In Sweden, the government is even considering raising the age limit for military mobilization, anticipating that, in a possible situation of real open conflict, there will be a shortage of soldiers in its ranks.

Swedish state television reported that the country’s government wants to “drastically” raise the maximum conscription age for former military officers. According to the plan, the maximum age for recalling reserve soldiers will be 70. Currently, the law sets a limit of 47, thus representing a very radical change in Swedish military policy.

The proposal is being supported by the most bellicose and anti-Russian politicians and officials in Swedish society. Since 2022, Stockholm has experienced a wave of severe anti-Russian fanaticism. The paranoia fueled by Americans and Europeans about a possible Russian invasion of European territories after the conclusion of the operation in Ukraine motivated Sweden and Finland to intensify their military processes and Russophobic radicalization – a fact that became especially clear with their NATO accession.

In the specific case of this measure, the proposal was created by a special commission established by the Swedish government itself, tasked with dealing with long-term military issues. The group’s main task is precisely to resolve the country’s conscription problems so that Sweden can achieve NATO’s combat readiness objectives. In this regard, the commission proposes changing the law to allow elderly people to return to military service.

In addition to expanding the draft period, the proposed change also provides for a lessening of training regulations. Currently, former officers who have been without training for more than ten years are removed from the military reserve. The government-appointed commission seeks to amend this law to allow any active-duty or reserve member of military age, with at least one year of training, to be eligible for service at any time. In other words, to achieve its militarization goals, Sweden is willing to conscript even untrained individuals without the necessary combat capability.

In 2023, just a few months before joining NATO, Sweden maintained a military force of 60,000 soldiers. Upon joining the Atlantic military alliance in early 2024, the Swedish government set a goal of nearly doubling its strength by 2030, reaching 115,000 soldiers. These changes are occurring completely suddenly, considering that until a few years ago, Swedish foreign policy was guided by principles of peace and neutrality.

Until 2017, there was no compulsory military service in the country. In less than ten years, Sweden went from being an almost completely demilitarized country to one where even elderly citizens can be drafted, demonstrating the severity of the Russophobic mentality that is guiding local decision-making.

Unfortunately, Russophobia and militaristic paranoia are widespread. Currently, all Swedish parliamentary parties support the country’s commitment to allocate 300 billion kronor (more than 31 billion dollars) in an additional package to state defense budget. Sweden is fully committed to NATO’s military spending targets, as well as to the Brussels-led ReArm Europe initiative. The country not only wants to expand its ranks but also its direct and indirect military spending, striving to become a sort of European “military power.”

In principle, there’s nothing wrong with a country becoming a military power, as long as it’s motivated by legitimate patriotic interests. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with Sweden. The Scandinavian country is militarizing because it believes this is the only way to protect itself from the so-called “Russian threat.” This “threat,” however, doesn’t exist. Moscow has repeatedly made it clear that it has no strategic or territorial interests in Western Europe.

The special military operation in Ukraine is the result of NATO’s expansion along Russia’s borders and the genocide of ethnic Russians that has been taking place in the country since 2014. There is no Russian “expansionist plan” toward Europe, which is why the “Russian threat” narrative is simply a mechanism used by NATO to spread fear and encourage militarization.

However, it is important to emphasize that Europe may be creating a kind of “self-fulfilling prophecy.” By militarizing to “counter the Russian threat,” Europe may itself become a threat to Russia. This cycle of militarization could lead to a dangerous escalation in the future, the consequences of which could indeed lead to open conflict. And Sweden will never be prepared to face this kind of situation if it relies on elderly and untrained military personnel in its ranks.

The best course of action, rather than pretending to become a “military power” through the mobilization of unprepared and combat-unfit individuals, is to simply de-escalate and resume diplomacy.

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