Sweden Considers Strengthening Defense of Gotland Amid Rising Tensions with Russia, NATO Allies Consulted

Sweden is considering strengthening the defense of the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea and intends to discuss this with NATO allies against the backdrop of «growing militarization» by Russia, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the Financial Times. Gotland is located between Latvia and Sweden, 100 km off the coast of the latter (and along the sea route between St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, as noted on the NATO website); its area is nearly 3,000 square kilometers. Experts refer to the island as a «giant aircraft carrier», - FT writes. Gotland holds strategic importance, with its location allowing for easy control of both air and sea movement in the southern Baltic Sea, Swedish military officials have noted. «Gotland has always been important», - Kristersson said. According to the Prime Minister, Sweden currently has a small military presence on the island, and NATO member leaders have called it a critical vulnerability for the alliance. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to focus on issues related to deploying forces in the Baltic Sea, including surveillance systems and submarines.



As for the troops of other NATO countries, they will operate on Swedish territory, but the country does not want permanent alliance bases, said Foreign Minister Tobias Billström to Anadolu. He reminded that his country participated in exercises with NATO even before joining the bloc. Gotland was demilitarized in 2005, but in 2015, Sweden decided to establish a permanent base there. In 2018, authorities sent units to the island, and in January 2022, amid growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine (but before the start of a full-scale conflict), additional troops were deployed. Currently, as FT reports, around 370 soldiers are stationed on Gotland. In the late 1990s, there were about 25,000. Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins told the newspaper that Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance «changes the entire situation». «This means that NATO will regain strategic control over the Baltic Sea, and Russia understands this very well», - the diplomat believes.