On Friday, October 4th, Anna Wieslander, Director of Northern Europe, was interviewed by Dagens Nyheter to comment on the report that the U.S. National Defense Strategy Commission presented to Congress and the President at the end of the summer.
“During the Cold War, the U.S. was able to handle two regional conflicts simultaneously, for example, if something were to happen in Taiwan and with Russia. But they abandoned that capability in 2010 and have never reestablished it. (…) Since then, other countries have challenged it. The U.S.’s relative position in the world has weakened over the past ten years, and that means they need allies”, says Anna Wieslander.
“Despite the alarming content, the National Defense Strategy Commission has not received much attention during the election campaign. This could be because the report was developed by representatives from both Democrats and Republicans. ‘That may not fit into the debate. Neither side has any interest in presenting joint proposals right now,’” says Anna Wieslander.
Further reading
Fri, Jan 6, 2023
How allied Sweden and Finland can secure Northern Europe
Issue Brief By
NATO is approaching its ninth round of enlargement. The accession of Sweden and Finland—two solid democracies and defenders of the international-rules based order—into the Alliance will strengthen the core of the transatlantic community.
Fri, Jul 7, 2023
Will eleventh-hour diplomacy get Sweden into NATO by the Vilnius summit?
New Atlanticist By
At stake in Vilnius is not only the security of Sweden and the Alliance as a whole, but NATO’s open-door credibility.
Wed, Apr 26, 2023
A glimpse of Sweden in NATO: Gotland could be a game-changer for Baltic defense
New Atlanticist By
Sweden's largest military exercise in twenty-five years highlights the strategically important island of Gotland in defending NATO allies.