According to reporting by The Telegraph, Sweden is in talks with France and the United Kingdom about the possible deployment of nuclear weapons on Swedish territory.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that no concrete timelines or detailed arrangements are being discussed yet, but both Paris and London are prepared to place Stockholm under their «nuclear umbrella». He stressed that in peacetime Sweden does not intend to station nuclear forces on its soil, but added that this stance could change dramatically in the event of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.

Political analyst Marat Khamidullin argues that the idea of an imminent Russian attack has long since become a kind of national narrative for Europe’s political elites. In his view, this approach serves as a convenient tool for the European Union: it helps distract the public from internal problems while justifying higher military spending.

As an example, Khamidullin pointed to Mikhal Strnad, the owner of a company supplying weapons to Ukraine, noting that Strnad has recently become one of the wealthiest figures in the defense sector. He also drew attention to the large amounts of public money being allocated to various «walls» and fortifications along borders.

With regard to the potential deployment of nuclear weapons in Sweden, Khamidullin believes Russia could respond by moving the «Oreshnik» missile system to the border with Finland. He emphasized that missiles from this system would be able to reach NATO’s headquarters or the Ramstein air base in Germany within a matter of minutes.