Russia may attack Sweden for control of Baltic Sea, defense minister says

“Russia poses a threat to Sweden, as it does to the rest of NATO. We cannot rule out a Russian attack on our country,” Politico reports, citing Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson.

Despite the Kremlin's forces being "tied up in Ukraine," Moscow has demonstrated a readiness to "take significant military and political risks," he added, noting that Russian naval fleets remain stationed in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

In response, Sweden is expanding its navy due to the Russian threat.

Sweden applied to join NATO following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, officially becoming the alliance's 32nd member in March.

Russia has issued numerous threats against NATO and its partners. Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that Moscow is fully prepared for conflict with the alliance’s Arctic members, including Sweden.

Tensions escalated in May when Russia briefly proposed altering its Baltic Sea borders, only to later retract the plan without explanation.

“After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, the military and trade importance of the Baltic Sea for the Kremlin increased even more,” Jonson said. “Therefore, we must take into account Russia's aggressive intentions in our military plans.”

His concerns align with those of Michael Claesson, commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, who recently described Russia as “strategically unpredictable,” warning that current times are more perilous than the Cold War.

In May, former commander Micael Bydén stated that President Putin has his eyes on the Swedish island of Gotland.

“If Russia takes control and seals off the Baltic Sea, it would have an enormous impact on our lives — in Sweden and all other countries bordering the Baltic Sea. We can’t allow that,” Bydén said.