“We are not at war, but not at peace either,” said Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, announcing that his country would send armed forces to the Baltic Sea for the first time as part of heightened monitoring efforts amid a suspected wave of sabotage targeting underwater cables.
The country said it would contribute up to three warships and one surveillance aircraft to NATO’s effort to monitor critical infrastructure and Russia’s “shadow fleet,” as the alliance works to defend against sabotage of underwater infrastructure.
“Sweden is not at war. But we are not at peace either,” he said.
“True peace requires freedom and the absence of serious conflicts between nations. But we and our neighbors are exposed to hybrid attacks, carried out not with robots and soldiers, but with computers, money, disinformation, and the risk of sabotage. Those who want peace must be prepared for war,” he added.
