COPY LINK

For members

MILITARY

What does the new Sweden-US defence pact mean for you?

Swedish law-makers on Tuesday voted yes to the so-called Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the US, which has made headlines in Sweden for a number of reasons.

Published: 18 June 2024 15:16 CEST

What does the new Sweden-US defence pact mean for you?

An American CH-47 Chinook lands on a field in Sweden during a separate military exercise in 2017. Photo: Karl Melander/TT

The DCA, known as DCA-avtalet in Swedish, was signed by Stockholm and Washington in December, and gives the US access to 17 military bases and training areas in Sweden. There are a few ways in which you may notice its impact in the future:

1. Access to Swedish military bases

The agreement lets the US place military troops, store military equipment, refuel aircraft and carry out exercises at existing Swedish military bases, among other things.

No new US military bases will be set up. However, the US will be allowed to set up their own buildings at Swedish bases and may also be granted the exclusive right to certain sections of a military base, including the right to control who is allowed access to those sections.

The US will have to keep the Swedish Armed Forces informed of what kind of equipment and how much of it they intend to store in Sweden.

US-owned military vehicles, ships and aircraft will be able to move freely within Sweden’s borders and may not be stopped and checked without the US’s approval.

2. Military personnel

It’s still unclear how many US troops will be stationed in Sweden and how long.

The agreement doesn’t just include military staff, but also civilian staff such as family members, suppliers and accompanying staff in charge of social activities.

The US will be allowed to set up venues for shops, fairs and social activities. It will also be able to take measures to ensure the safety of staff in the areas used by their troops.

3. US law on Swedish soil

US law will apply to US troops in Sweden.

This is controversial, and critics have expressed concern that perpetrators could avoid justice if they commit an act that’s illegal in Sweden but legal in the US.

Sweden will be able to rescind this right if it’s considered to be of special importance to Sweden. Swedish authorities will consider factors such as how serious the crime is, the circumstances of the crime and who the plaintiff and suspect are.

4. Swedish municipalities concerned

Some Swedish municipalities have expressed concern that locals won’t be able to use popular nature spots, that it will lead to increased waste and tension between US troops and locals, and that municipalities hosting US troops could be targeted in disinformation campaigns.

5. Nukes or no nukes?

Critics have called for the DCA to include a clause that prohibits nuclear weapons being brought into or placed in Sweden.

The right-wing government, however, has repeatedly insisted there is no need to have a ban spelled out, citing “broad consensus on nuclear weapons” in Sweden as well as a parliamentary decision that bars nuclear weapons in Sweden in peacetime, although Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said he would consider hosting them in wartime.

The centre-left Social Democrats pushed through an addendum to the proposal that’s now being voted on which they claim clarifies Sweden’s position that it will not allow nuclear weapons on its territory. But that clause is not included in the DCA, which has already been signed.

Member comments

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Signed by Stockholm and Washington in December, the deal gives the US access to 17 military bases and training areas in Sweden, and allows the storage of weapons, military equipment and ammunition.

The agreement was approved by a broad majority in parliament following an almost five-hour debate, with 266 MPs voting in favour and 37 against, while 46 were absent.

The main opponents, the Left and Green parties, had argued that the agreement ought to state outright that the Scandinavian country would not allow nuclear weapons on its territory.

READ ALSO:

What does the new Sweden-US defence pact mean for you?

“We want to see legislation that bans nuclear weapons from being brought onto Swedish soil,” Green Party MP Emma Berginger told parliament during Tuesday’s debate.

“Unfortunately, the government has chosen to sign an agreement that doesn’t close the door to nuclear weapons, and therefore the Green Party is going to vote no to this agreement,” she told said during the debate.

Manual widget for ML (class=”ml-manual-widget-container”)

Greens leader Daniel Helldén had argued on Monday that the agreement made Sweden “a target for nuclear weapons” since “we’re going to have 17 bases where the Americans can store (military) materiel”.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s centre-right minority government, propped up by the far-right Sweden Democrats, has said the deal respects Swedish sovereignty.

“It is very clear that Sweden is a sovereign nation, and there is no other country that can force Sweden to have nuclear weapons on Swedish soil,” Defence Minister Pål Jonson insisted.

‘Naive’

The Left and Green parties, which also voted against Sweden’s Nato membership, together hold just 42 seats in parliament, which was not enough to block the agreement’s adoption on their own.

The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Association, one of the biggest critics of the move, said two successive Swedish governments insisted during the Nato application process that Sweden would have the same stance on nuclear weapons as neighbouring Denmark and Norway.

“But unlike Norway’s and Denmark’s DCA agreements, there is no clause in Sweden’s agreement against nuclear weapons being brought into or placed in Sweden,” the association’s head Kerstin Bergeå wrote in an op-ed.

In addition, Finland, which joined Nato in April 2023, “has a national law prohibiting nuclear weapons on Finnish territory and Finland’s DCA agreement refers to this law”.

A similar Swedish clause would “strengthen the Nordic region and contribute to a joint de-escalation vis-a-vis Russian nuclear weapons”, Bergeå said.

Nukes in wartime?

Sweden’s prime minister made headlines last month when he opened the door for the possibility of nuclear weapons in the country during wartime.

“In a war situation it’s a completely different matter, (it) would depend entirely on what would happen,” Kristersson told public radio broadcaster SR.

Two Left Party MPs said in an op-ed on Sunday: “That’s an incredible statement and is totally the opposite of what the Swedish people think and what Sweden has long stood for.”

Bergeå questioned whether Sweden would be able to put a brake on the United States.

“An agreement based solely on confidence is not enough in important matters such as these,” she said.

Jonson, the defence minister, has said Sweden needed to strengthen its international cooperation “to defend our freedom and democracy”.

“With the DCA, Sweden can receive early, swift and effective military support from the United States in a deteriorating security situation,” he said last month.

“The agreement acts as a deterrent and is stabilising. It reduces the risk of war breaking out and makes Sweden safer,” Jonson said.