This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Excerpts:
Larry Weymouth: What would you say to NATO prime ministers about Ukraine?
Ulf Christersson: We will tell them that it is vital that we enable Ukraine to win this war, and that Ukraine will never win unless we continue to stand united and support it.
I have heard that your country knows a lot about Russia.
We have been following and observing Russia for hundreds of years.
How do you view the threat posed by Vladimir Putin and Russia?
We have always been very suspicious of Russian aggression. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the situation has changed dramatically. We are now saying that Russian aggression should have been noticed. [the extent of Russia’s threat] In 2008, [when Russia destabilized] Georgia, and the first in 2014 [Russian] We have the aggression against Ukraine. In 2022, it’s become completely self-evident. Russia is now the defining threat that we need to build all of our defense capabilities against.
Do you think Russia is a big threat not only to your country but also to Europe?
Many European countries, including those geographically far from Russia, recognize that a successful Russian invasion of Ukraine would pose a significant threat to other European countries.
So does that mean Russia could invade other countries?
If they achieve their ambitions in Ukraine, there is no indication that Russia is going to compromise and say, “No more.” I think it’s clear that they are willing to take big risks. They are willing to take military action that most European countries did not expect from Russia.
But they were unsuccessful.
Leading US defense experts argue that President Biden, fearing an escalation of nuclear war, is placing excessive restrictions on the use of weapons the US has handed over to Ukraine. For example, the administration has told the Ukrainian government that it generally cannot use US weapons to attack targets inside Russia. Is Sweden placing such restrictions on the weapons it sends to Ukraine?
No, there are no restrictions on how Ukraine can use the weapons it has deployed to Ukraine. I think most countries have that. If you don’t have the right to stop the perpetrators, you have very limited ways to defend yourself. Russia has constantly threatened to use nuclear weapons in a very careless way in this delicate situation. But we cannot allow too many restrictions to be placed on Ukraine’s right to stop Russian aggression.
How do you assess the current situation in Ukraine?
Russia has not been as successful as expected. Meanwhile, Ukraine is fighting bravely, but it is clear that it needs more support from the West and its European allies. The European Union has been united in its support of Ukraine, but we have also been united in Europe and the United States in its support of Ukraine. It would have been very difficult for Europe to support Ukraine alone.
At the same time, if we expect the US to take seriously what is happening on the continent, we in Europe have every reason to take seriously US security concerns in other parts of the world. For example, we should be more worried about what is happening in China.
Do you think Ukrainian President Volodymyr will be forced to make a settlement? Zelensky? How do you think the war will end?
Everyone wants peace, but I think in most European countries people firmly believe that peace must be settled on Ukrainian terms.
The Ukrainian government says that means taking back all of Ukraine.
As long as they say so, that needs to be the starting point. It is not Ukraine that threatens Russia, but Russia, which has occupied or is trying to occupy Ukraine. Peace can only be discussed on Ukrainian terms. Otherwise we will be rewriting the European security architecture.
Russia has a huge advantage over Ukraine in terms of manpower, right?
Yes, Russia is a big country, and Ukraine is much smaller. Given that, Ukrainians [have performed] Very impressive. Some said that this war would end in a few weeks with a Russian victory. Obviously that didn’t happen. The Ukrainians are really struggling. But let’s be honest: without the enormous support from our European and American partners in the military, financial and political spheres, this battle would not have been successful at all.
Are you worried about what former President Donald Trump’s victory would mean for Europe and Ukraine?
Yes, most European leaders are concerned about the risk of US disengagement in what goes on in Europe. I think most European leaders recognize that in the long run, regardless of who wins the US presidential election in November, we as Europeans have to act for ourselves. Europe has to defend itself and pay for its own defense.
There is legitimate criticism in the United States that many European countries do not adequately fund their militaries, and there are good reasons why many European countries, including Sweden, are increasing their investments in defense.
What percentage of GDP does Sweden spend on defense?
Sweden has doubled its defense spending over four years, and will hit the 2% cap this year.
