Sweden is rapidly militarizing Gotland, an island with value mostly in tourism, putting more ground troops on the island and warships in the area after Russian naval exercises in the Black Sea, which they interpreted as a regional threat.
Both NATO and Russia have been holding exercises on the island, and while there is no indication Gotland is in any way a target, it seems Sweden is taking this opportunity to bulk up its military presence along the coast.
The only real connection is that Gotland is across the Baltic from Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave which has hosted some of the naval exercises. While Russia wants to emphasize its naval readiness, that probably doesn’t mean ambitions in Scandinavia.
Sweden’s largest island, Gotland was briefly occupied by Russian forces in 1808 during the Finnish War. Sweden repelled the Russians less than a month later. The island has not been contested since.
Russian tourists are rowdy, maybe?
swedes r boring drunks—Russians have zero interest in nordic nations—except Finland where trade occurs
Sweden Invades Tourist Island, Fearing Russian Games
Swedish ground forces placed on the island amid naval exercises in Black
Sea = FALSE & TWISTED!!!
THE REALITY!!
The headquarters of the Swedish Armed Forces announced Tuesday that the military had initiated a “high readiness action” in the southern and southeastern Baltic Sea due to “the current, extensive military activity in the Baltic Sea region.”
“There is currently extensive military activity in the Baltic Sea, conducted by Russian as well as Western players ( NAT0 ), on a scale the likes of which we have not seen since the Cold War,” Swedish Armed Forces Commander of Joint Operations Jan Thornquist was quoted as saying.
According to the military, the “high readiness action” will mean increased Swedish sea and air-based surveillance of the Baltic, and a reinforced presence in Gotland, the Swedish island in the Baltic situated between mainland Sweden and the Baltic States.
Peter Hultqvist, Sweden’s Defence Minister, told Swedish news agency TT that the military’s deployment would be meant to send a “signal, both to our partners and to the Russian side, that we stand up for Swedish integrity and sovereignty.”
there are several big errors in their article, why are the words Black Sea used twice – this has nothing to do with the Black Sea, taking place in the BALTIC sea area
to think that Russia has any territorial ambition against the Swedes is absurd and merely to buy into the current nato/western hysteria.
“Both NATO and Russia have been holding exercises on the island..”
is this true?? how is it even possible? both holding exercises ON the island?? maybe the exercises are NEAR the island, but then again looking at maps of the Baltic area, everything is really really close to everything else in that area of the world, with nine nations sharing the tiny Baltic Sea area
Noticed them too. Sometimes it’s perhaps better not to write at all, if there’s no time or editor available to catch the basic stuff. The whole thing is reading like a mess now!
Yes, how the hell would Russia be conducting exercises on an island the same article claims is “not contested” for over 200 years?
the USA enjoys the greatest income wealth disparities of all but a few African, 2 S American nations. …per Allianz Sweden ranks slightly less than USA…the US ruling class does not challenge competent nations—only weak defenseless nations….a nation of insecure bullies, where only does the concept of the “sissy” exist
From the NEWS EDITOR of Antiwar.com? What has he been eating/drinking?
The potentially dangerous US/NATO-Russia confrontations are in the Black Sea. Russian governments have long known that the Baltic is a NATO sea where its posture can only be defensive. Only a criminally insane Russian ruler would consider an attack on Gotland.
In the Black Sea our irresponsible governments including the present one have attempted to turn it into a US/NATO sea too. That is why Putin took the Crimea with its naval base. It was and still is a dangerous chess game. Our move to bring the coast of Ukraine and Crimea into the EU and then into NATO was a threat to Russia’s king to which Russia answered with a defensive move: Crimea.
I repeat: the occupation of Crimea was not an offensive but a defensive move by Putin. I do not applaud. I observe.
Lived from one cast to the otther and between Canadia and Mexican border and every year and place got invaded by tourist.
Did not minf foreign tourist as they treated local residents in polite and mannerly ways, but those damn tourist from other states were more like damn fleas ticks spiders and snakes latching onto even the damn stones in the ground and demanding locals smile and cowtow to their every sloppy habits., slavery of the tourist industryy workers.
The domestic tourist thrash and trash the landscape wherever they trod, leaving locals to clean up after them and deem every wildlife as if out of Disneyland or a petting zoo creature; only to act and get pissed if animals now and then object.
In the states our political elite vaca tion at public or corporates expence and leave their mansions to vacation mostly outside of US borders or in present case go to Trumps golf club to give reach arounds hoping to get millions for doing so.
There are lots of going broke states and cities who shoild do as Swedes are doing,call in military that after all earn more per year than 45% of workers and most assuredly more especially those of tourist workers, it would surely boost local economies.
It works well in Southern Mexico border states especially for gun and surplus military stores and high waged ICE agents, as they fear invading hordes of brown skinned people who mug us and demand not our wallet but our jobs.
In US it would cause a lot of problems for many fat ugly women who cannot find an full time employable or stick around hubby-daddy male companion, but having been around military men for long while I noticed that no matter where military is at there is no such thing as an obese or uglier than a pig female who could not find a GI and get laid,
Heck GIs even pay some of them which boost local economy.
A short while back Russian men sent several uncouth African immigrant tourist, who Swedes could not control and were paid handsomely to leave, into hospital for taking too many grab a** on Russian women, but being more civilized males in US, P***y whipped, American males would end up going to jail iand getting sued. As most likely outcome
Invading ones own tourist stops with our military may just become a large part of next stimulous package cureall for we millions deemed non-essential restaurant, pub and latte shop and tourist service unemployed.
Our police departments already act more as if an occupation force than peace officers. And kill more unarmed american males yearly than american military men and women killed in the over 18 nations we have active combat in.
They then can wheel out all their miltary gear fulltime and be real men among men.
I completely overlooked the most significant issue here: NordStream2. It’s projected bed comes close to Gotland/Sweden! In fact closer to Swedish territory than to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, or Denmark. How could I have been so blind myself?