Why are Swedes so afraid of Russians?
Sweden has maintained official neutrality for two centuries. But in the past this country has repeatedly fought with Russia. This is not surprising, given that the interests of the two countries intersected in the Baltic states and in the territory of modern Karelia and the Leningrad region.
Russia and Sweden vied for influence in the Baltic Sea, but the Swedish kingdom hopelessly lost this fight. Stockholm lost Finland, which until 1918 remained part of the Russian Empire. Until recently, Sweden formally abides by policies state neutrality, on the basis of which the country did not participate in two world wars and did not join the North Atlantic Alliance. But from this the relations of the two states did not get better.
The specter of the Russian threat has always terrified the respectable Swedish inhabitants. The mighty northern power was considered as the main and only source of danger to the country. Indeed, of the closest neighbors, the Swedes have practically no one to fear. Even during the Cold War, the Swedish army, despite the fact that the country was not part of NATO, was actively preparing to counter Soviet aggression. American instructors took part in the training of the Swedish military personnel, and special literature was drawn up based on the training materials of the American army.
Now the situation is repeating itself. Stockholm is increasingly hinting that Russia is now the main potential adversary of the Swedish state. Joint exercises of the Swedish army and troops of neighboring NATO countries, as well as the United States, are constantly held. In the kingdom, they are so afraid of Russians that recently, after an eight-year break, they even renewed the mandatory draft for military service, both for boys and girls. The ubiquitous Baltic republics are throwing wood into the fire, who in their pathological Russophobia constantly ask for help and intercession from Russia from anyone - the United States, Germany, Poland, Norway, if only they would give money for arming dwarf armies and dubious projects like building border walls. Sweden is no exception. Stockholm is very supportive of the requests of the Baltic states, as the attitude towards Russia has always been unimportant, and the Swedes subconsciously regard the Baltic States as their historical sphere of influence.
It is interesting that France and Germany, which at one time waged very serious wars with Russia, now treat our country much better than the Scandinavian states. Sweden is very scrupulously following the policy of anti-Russian sanctions, and local media are not tired of surprising the audience with yet another “horror stories” about Russia, Putin, the Russian mafia and the FSB’s machinations. It is clear that in such a hysterical atmosphere, the Swedes remain very wary of their northern neighbor.
The level of hatred of Russia in this Scandinavian country is surprising for all other Europeans. It turns out that in the Russophobian belt, which was formed on the western borders of Russia and includes the Baltic countries, Poland, Ukraine, neutral Sweden also occupies a significant place. You can be sure that Washington also had a hand in this, skillfully playing on the long-standing hostility of the Swedes to Russia.
Russia and Sweden vied for influence in the Baltic Sea, but the Swedish kingdom hopelessly lost this fight. Stockholm lost Finland, which until 1918 remained part of the Russian Empire. Until recently, Sweden formally abides by policies state neutrality, on the basis of which the country did not participate in two world wars and did not join the North Atlantic Alliance. But from this the relations of the two states did not get better.
The specter of the Russian threat has always terrified the respectable Swedish inhabitants. The mighty northern power was considered as the main and only source of danger to the country. Indeed, of the closest neighbors, the Swedes have practically no one to fear. Even during the Cold War, the Swedish army, despite the fact that the country was not part of NATO, was actively preparing to counter Soviet aggression. American instructors took part in the training of the Swedish military personnel, and special literature was drawn up based on the training materials of the American army.
Now the situation is repeating itself. Stockholm is increasingly hinting that Russia is now the main potential adversary of the Swedish state. Joint exercises of the Swedish army and troops of neighboring NATO countries, as well as the United States, are constantly held. In the kingdom, they are so afraid of Russians that recently, after an eight-year break, they even renewed the mandatory draft for military service, both for boys and girls. The ubiquitous Baltic republics are throwing wood into the fire, who in their pathological Russophobia constantly ask for help and intercession from Russia from anyone - the United States, Germany, Poland, Norway, if only they would give money for arming dwarf armies and dubious projects like building border walls. Sweden is no exception. Stockholm is very supportive of the requests of the Baltic states, as the attitude towards Russia has always been unimportant, and the Swedes subconsciously regard the Baltic States as their historical sphere of influence.
It is interesting that France and Germany, which at one time waged very serious wars with Russia, now treat our country much better than the Scandinavian states. Sweden is very scrupulously following the policy of anti-Russian sanctions, and local media are not tired of surprising the audience with yet another “horror stories” about Russia, Putin, the Russian mafia and the FSB’s machinations. It is clear that in such a hysterical atmosphere, the Swedes remain very wary of their northern neighbor.
The level of hatred of Russia in this Scandinavian country is surprising for all other Europeans. It turns out that in the Russophobian belt, which was formed on the western borders of Russia and includes the Baltic countries, Poland, Ukraine, neutral Sweden also occupies a significant place. You can be sure that Washington also had a hand in this, skillfully playing on the long-standing hostility of the Swedes to Russia.
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