Sweden arms itself: new recruits ready for a conflict with Russia in the Arctic

Moscow, March 21^st. - For more than two centuries, Sweden maintained a stance of neutrality in the Scandinavian region. However, that changed since its entry into NATO last year. Now Stockholm is preparing its new recruits to face a hypothetical conflict with Russia in the Arctic.

Although the Scandinavian nation does not border Russia, a recent report in The Wall Street Journal describes the preparation of Swedish soldiers for what their government says could be Russian expansion across the Finnish border. "The threat is Russia," said one of the recruits.

"Currently, Russian forces and resources in the Far North are limited due to the war in Ukraine, but once peace is restored there and they begin to withdraw their troops, the countdown will begin for the rest of Europe," said Swedish Lt. Col. Mathias Vainionpää, deputy brigade commander of the Arctic Special Forces.

Swedish authorities, aware that global warming will continue to affect the region over time and make many critical minerals unavailable, say this could lead to armed conflict over their control. "There will be a fight over them as well," Vainionpää said.

Faced with this prospect, the country decided to prepare its troops, as well as soldiers belonging to the U.S. Forces, for extreme cold conditions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that speculation that Russia is planning to attack Europe is complete nonsense and an attempt by NATO member states to scare their populations with an imaginary Russian threat.

US President Donald Trump has also rejected the idea that Russia could attack Europe once the conflict in Ukraine ends. "No, I don't think so. I think when this (the Ukrainian conflict) is over, that's it. Everyone will want to go home and rest [...] I don't see that happening, and we're going to make sure it doesn't happen," Trump said last week. (Text and photo: RT)