The current and former Swedish prime ministers have been heavily criticised after sharing strong opinions about the war against Iran and a potential nuclear strike against Russia.
Sweden will join Germany, Poland and Denmark in discussions with Macron about how France’s nuclear weapons could provide a crucial safeguard for all of Europe, as trust in the US nuclear umbrella is eroding.
Magdalena Andersson, the leader of the Social Democratic Party and the former prime minister of Sweden, made the following statement during an interview with TV4 News:
”We have nuclear weapons in Europe to act as a clear deterrent to Russia. Even today, Europe has nuclear weapons, so we could bomb Russia into pieces.”
She continued:
”But the real discussion is whether the French now want to make their nuclear weapons available to countries other than France. Why is this not happening within the framework of NATO?”
On 9 March 2026, the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, gave his thoughts on the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, as reported by the state-funded news channel SVT.
”I think how this war ends will say a lot about what we think of it. If it succeeds, then it’s permissible.”
The statements have attracted strong criticism.
What is the rationale for Sweden, in conjunction with NATO, possessing the capability to launch a nuclear attack on Russia?
Kristersson’s statement is perceived as results-based international law that “might makes right” or “the victors write history”, where legality is assessed retroactively after a victory.
