Sweden hasn't gone to war since Napoleon was alive, but Russia has it preparing for another one

• European countries are rethinking their security because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

• Sweden increased its defense spending after Russia attacked Ukraine.

• Sweden is reconsidering whether to join NATO, reflecting doubts about Europe's old security order.

Sweden, which has rapidly increased its military spending over the past decade, is now rethinking its relationship with NATO, as a result of Russia's aggression against its neighbors.

Sweden's ambassador to the US, Karin Olofsdotter, told Insider on Wednesday that European security has deteriorated for some time, pointing to Russia's war with Georgia in 2008 and the seizure of Crimea in 2014).

Olofsdotter said at the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC that maybe we didn't react strongly enough and that paved the way for Putin to think that he could do it.

Sweden has not declared war since 1814, but has participated in other operations. When Sweden joined the EU in 1995 it became neutral but still works closely with NATO.

In the past few years, Sweden and its neighbors have watched Russian military activity closely, particularly in the northern part of the country, where Moscow has added forces, tested new weapons, and opened or refurbished bases.

In an interview last year, Olofsdotter told Insider that Russian President Vladimir Putin had shown a willingness to use a military he has rebuilt from its post-Soviet nadir.

In the last few years, Stockholm has increased investment in its own military, purchasing new aircraft and ships and other weapons, as well as expanding and emphasizing cyber warfare and psychological warfare.

We had a plan to increase our defense spending by 85% over the next decade, and now we have decided to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP, Olofs said.

Olofsdotter said that the 2% target was announced in March and that the city is debating how quickly it can be reached. In April, Sweden's military said that spending could reach that level in 2028 with significant increases in capacity each year.

Olofsdotter said that security is looked upon differently now than it was a few months ago.

'Trust is definitely gone'

Sweden has increased its support for NATO membership. According to recent polls, support is even higher in Sweden if it were to apply, as Moscow&s actions have pushed that to over half.

Olofsdotter presented an analysis of the US's view of transatlantic security as part of a discussion about what NATO membership would mean for Sweden.

Olofsdotter said that EU membership comes with a security guarantee, but it is not like NATO.

The report will be presented two weeks earlier than planned. It won't make a recommendation, but a decision will be made based on it.

NATO would have to agree to formally invite the application to begin accession talks, after which the alliance's 30 members have to agree on admission.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance would make the process as quick as possible, and that it took 12 months for Croatia and Albania to go from invitation to invitation.

Both countries have ties to NATO, political and economic stability, and robust defense capabilities, so a Swedish application is expected to move quickly. If an application is made in the coming weeks, then the US approval could be secured before the August recess, according to Olofsdotter.

The ruling Social Democratic Party has some differences. Many alliance members have said they would welcome Swedish and Finn bids.

There are concerns that members with close ties to Moscow could stop the application. Jim Townsend, an expert at the Center for a New American Security and a former US defense official, said that NATO is consensus-based and that they are going to work.

The time between application and the NATO mutual-defense guarantee is a concern for Sweden.

Should Sweden or Finland apply, Moscow will retaliate. Moscow has made other aggressive moves, including military flights into the airspace of Sweden and its neighbors, since it attacked Ukraine in February.

Olofsdotter pointed to posters in Moscow that labeled famous Swedes as Nazis, saying that Sweden is particularly concerned about cyber or hybrid threats.

NATO will be very live to potential Russian action while an application is considered, a European official told reporters in April.

In recent days, Britain's defense minister said that the UK wouldn't defend Sweden if attacked. NATO would increase its presence around Sweden if it joined the alliance, according to the alliance's secretary general.

Olofsdotter said that Sweden focused more attention and resources on its security in the fall of 2021. The creation of the Psychological Defense Agency augmented the total defense concept that Sweden renewed in the late 2010s.

Other trends point to the public's awareness of the threat. During the Cold War, people who built homes were offered tax deductions. Olofsdotter said that Swedes are reconsidering them for their original purpose.

After the war in Ukraine, the relationship between Russia and Europe appears to have changed irrevocably.

Olofsdotter said that trust is definitely gone and that we have to see what happens when the war is over and how it ends for President Putin.

The original article is on Business Insider.