approved by Hungary’s parliament<\/a>\u00a0on Monday, the last hurdle to membership. With the addition of Finland, which had also maintained a neutral stance, security cooperation between the West and the Baltic Sea area will be strengthened.<\/p>\nThe joining of Sweden and Finland \u00ab\u00a0gives a new strategic depth to the north of Europe and increases the defense potential of the three Baltic States,\u00a0\u00bb Bildt said.<\/p>\n
Bildt commented on Sweden’s ability to help deter Russia, including plans to send a battalion to Latvia. \u00ab\u00a0While Sweden in the past, our defense has been sort of purely national within our borders…now it’s going to be within a broader framework,\u00a0\u00bb he said.<\/p>\n
In his annual address to the Federal Assembly on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, \u00ab\u00a0We need to shore up the forces in the western strategic theatre in order to counteract the threats posed by NATO’s further eastward expansion, with Sweden and Finland joining the alliance.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Some analysts have warned that expanding NATO could provoke Russia. Bildt rejected this, saying, \u00ab\u00a0This war is also going to weaken Russia for quite some time to come.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Their army has taken a lot of casualties and a lot of losses,\u00a0\u00bb he added. \u00ab\u00a0So, we are going to deal with a militarily significantly weaker Russia for quite some time to come.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
He said Sweden and Finland joining NATO was \u00ab\u00a0a significant strategic setback\u00a0\u00bb for Putin.<\/p>\n
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that nothing should be ruled out concerning a future deployment of troops to Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I don’t know what happened,\u00a0\u00bb Bildt said of Macron’s comments. \u00ab\u00a0I think that was profound misunderstanding and miscommunication on that issue, because I mean, that issue has never been on the agenda,\u00a0\u00bb he added, indicating that mobilizing troops was not Europe’s consensus.<\/p>\n
Regarding Ukraine’s potential addition to NATO, Bildt acknowledged some hesitation in the U.S. as the November election approaches, but said Ukraine’s accession was \u00ab\u00a0a question of when, not if.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Ukraine has also applied to join the European Union. Concerning the timing, Bildt said that if the political will is there, \u00ab\u00a0within five years should be possible.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
He also spoke about the challenges that would come should Donald Trump win a second presidential term in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I think the biggest danger is to the Americans themselves, that they will have a presidency concentrated on domestic revenge,\u00a0\u00bb he said.<\/p>\n
Pointing specifically to Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Bildt said, \u00ab\u00a0If you listen to what he says in his speeches and his interviews, it’s all about backward-looking things.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Regarding a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Bildt said that while he doesn’t see any big risk for now, \u00ab\u00a0things could change.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0We will see what the new president [of Taiwan Lai Ching-te] says when he has his inauguration speech in May,\u00a0\u00bb he said, adding that \u00ab\u00a0Beijing’s reaction in this election has been fairly muted, which is a good sign.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
While Europe faces challenges regarding relations with China in areas like economic and trade competition, as well as human rights in Hong Kong, Bildt said there is a need to build a constructive relationship with China on things like climate change and artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
Read the article on the website of NIkkei Asia<\/p>\n
https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/Politics\/International-relations\/Sweden-joining-NATO-bolsters-Northern-Europe-s-defense-ex-PM-says<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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