Swedish Military Intelligence Warns of ‘Palpable’ Russian Military Threat

Sweden’s Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST) has warned that a possible conflict with Russia is at the highest level since the Cold War, but also arguing NATO security guarantees have made Sweden safer.

Major General Lena Hallin, the head of MUST, spoke out this week on the issue saying that the situation regarding possible conflict with Russia was the most serious it is been in decades.

“MUST believes that the security situation is the most serious since at least the early 1980s,” Major General Hallin told a press conference this week, Swedish broadcaster SVT reports.

Hallin noted that Russia’s recent threshold for the use of military force is low but added that Sweden’s application to join the NATO military alliance, along with security guarantees given during the application, has made Sweden safer.

“The military threat from Russia is palpable. At the same time, there are currently limitations in Russian capabilities in our immediate area,” Hallin said and added, “We believe that Russia will strengthen the military presence in our immediate area when it deems it possible.”

While Sweden, along with Finland, has applied to join NATO, the country has faced several roadblocks on its path to membership.

Most of the issues regarding Sweden, in particular, have come from the Turkish government headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which accused Sweden of harbouring and supporting terrorists last year and called on the country to deport those Turkey has claimed have engaged in terrorist activities.

More recently, tensions between Sweden and Turkey erupted over a demonstration by Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Peludan in which he burned a copy of the Qur’an in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, causing anger from the Turkish government and much of the Islamic world.

President Erdogan later commented on the issue saying, “As long as you allow my holy book, the Qur’an, to be burned and torn apart, we will not say yes to your entry into NATO. Our view of Finland is positive, but not of Sweden.”

This week, Turkey announced that it would re-engage in NATO talks with Sweden ad while Sweden has not formally banned burning the Qur’an, the Stockholm police have stated that they will not grant permission for Qur’an burnings going forward.

 

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.