Defense Minister P\u00e5l Jonson<\/p>\n
Sweden\u2019s defense minister warned that Europe must prepare\u2014morally and materially\u2014for the real possibility of\u00a0a\u00a0conflict with Russia, saying nations should shift their mindset into \u201cwar mode\u201d to\u00a0deter and defend effectively, in\u00a0an\u00a0interview with German outlet RND<\/em> on\u00a0October\u00a019.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u00a0need a\u00a0change of\u00a0mentality: we\u00a0must move into \u2018war mode\u2019 to\u00a0decisively deter the threat, defend and preserve peace. Russia constantly tests our unity and resolve. But Putin will not succeed. The current security situation has sharpened our vigilance,\u201d Defense Minister P\u00e5l Jonson said<\/a>.<\/p>\n He\u00a0added that roughly 90\u00a0percent of\u00a0Swedes back higher defense spending and want to\u00a0maintain or\u00a0expand support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n \u201cLiving next to\u00a0Russia has taught us\u00a0one thing: peace is\u00a0not a\u00a0gift, peace is\u00a0something we\u00a0must defend every day,\u201d Jonson said.<\/p>\n Jonson called on\u00a0European allies to\u00a0step up\u00a0military deliveries to\u00a0Ukraine and to\u00a0tighten sanctions on\u00a0Moscow\u2014with a\u00a0particular focus on\u00a0the energy sector and the Kremlin\u2019s so-called \u201cshadow fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u00a0also urged using frozen Russian assets to\u00a0bankroll defensive investment in\u00a0Ukraine. \u201cOnly then will Putin understand that this war threatens his own grip on\u00a0power and cannot be\u00a0won,\u201d he\u00a0said.<\/p>\n Jonson argued Russia is\u00a0failing on\u00a0the battlefield, saying Moscow has paid a\u00a0heavy price for minimal territorial gains: \u201cOver the past year, more than 300,000 of\u00a0its soldiers have been killed or\u00a0wounded to\u00a0seize less than 0.5% of\u00a0Ukraine\u2019s territory,\u201d he\u00a0said.<\/p>\n On\u00a0deterring incursions, Jonson made clear that Sweden and NATO would respond robustly to\u00a0violations of\u00a0allied airspace or\u00a0waters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u00a0are a\u00a0defensive alliance, that\u2019s true, and our measures are considered and proportionate, but we\u00a0will always react. Russia must know: if\u00a0its warship or\u00a0fighter enters our airspace or\u00a0waters, we\u00a0will be\u00a0forced to\u00a0expel it, and, if\u00a0circumstances require, even shoot it\u00a0down,\u201d he\u00a0said.<\/p>\n Jonson also painted the Baltic as\u00a0a\u00a0hybrid-warfare hotspot, accusing Moscow of\u00a0a\u00a0range of\u00a0destabilizing acts\u2014from undersea sabotage and attacks on\u00a0seabed infrastructure to\u00a0a\u00a0growing shadow fleet that skirts sanctions. He\u00a0said Sweden and NATO now maintain comprehensive surveillance across the region \u201cfrom the seabed to\u00a0the sky,\u201d and credited NATO\u2019s Baltic Sentry mission with reducing the most serious incidents.<\/p>\n Asked about Europe buying US\u00a0systems for Ukraine rather than sourcing more from European industry, Jonson said the immediate need justified purchases from the\u00a0US.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u00a0only buy US\u00a0systems because they are lifesaving for Ukraine and we\u00a0do\u00a0not have comparable stockpiles in\u00a0Europe,\u201d he\u00a0said, citing interceptors, Patriot batteries, long-range weapons, and HIMARS as\u00a0examples. Still, he\u00a0stressed that bolstering Europe\u2019s defense industrial base remains important for the long\u00a0run.<\/p>\n Earlier, reports emerged that Sweden was stepping up<\/a> its support for Ukraine, signaling a\u00a0readiness to\u00a0deepen military assistance through key initiatives like PURL and the fighter jet coalition.<\/p>\n