| Summary: | Today the security situation in Europe is dominated by two entities: Russia, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO was formed during the cold war in large part as a way to organize and coordinate Western European militaries with the United States to counter the Soviet Union. Since 1991, NATO has expanded into Eastern Europe, admitting former Soviet states from the Baltics to Moldova. Meanwhile, Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin has maintained high levels of military spending and partaken in several aggressive military actions, including the 2008 invasion of Georgia, the 2014 annexation of Crimea and subsequent ongoing support of the war in the Donbas, and most recently, the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In the near future, this expansion will continue to include Sweden, a country famous for its historical neutrality and support for human rights. Sweden’s entry to NATO raises many questions, from “How did such a war adverse country end up joining the world’s largest military alliance?â€, to “What will Sweden bring to the NATO alliance?†to “How will such a move shape European and global security in the future?†This presentation seeks to understand Sweden’s role in the modern European Security climate, and how that role might change as it joins NATO. Topics that will be explored include Swedish military aid to Ukraine, defence spending allocation, the role of Swedish sea power and submarines, Baltic security, and Arctic security.
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