Sweden to Retrain Concripts in Light of Russian Aggression

**~~DarthShizNit~~** · December 12, 2014, 10:53 AM

Well, well, well, seems the lion of the north is taking Russia being Russia very seriously as of late.

http://www.thelocal.se/20141211/swed...russian-unrest

"The world has changed in a negative way," Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish broadcaster SVT.
He cited the rearmament of Russia, the country's annexation of Crimea in Ukraine, and the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine as justification for the re-training plans.

The move will mean that around 7,500 people who have served in the Swedish army since 2004 may be called in for a month of re-training.

"The armed forces will be able to carry out fully-manned war preparations which will result in increased operational capacity," Hultqvist explained.
Karlis Neretnieks, a retired major general and the former president of Sweden's National Defence College, was pleased with the news.
"I am extremely happy about this decision. The Armed Forces have had really big problems recruiting enough people on a volunteer basis," he told The Local.

"We'll be able to call on these former conscripts and then carry out exercises with full units - resulting in a more efficient

and higher level of training."

He added that the move was a positive signal for the Swedish public.

"The environment in the Baltic states and the Baltic Sea is getting a bit nasty, a bit unpleasant, and this move is a good signal to show that the Swedish government has reacted to the developments," he said.

"It's also a good signal to our neighbours that Sweden is concerned. People in countries like Poland, for example, have complained that Sweden hasn't seemed to be reacting to what's been going on."

Neretnieks added that Thursday's announcement was interesting from a political perspective with a fresh set of elections looming in March.

Apparently something like 65% of Swedes thinks it's a good idea, though if they're that concerned about it, why not volunteer.

Is this the first in a wave of Europeans realizing that armies are still somewhat important to have? Or is just a passing fad in Sweden who seem more concerned than most with Russian aggression?

**hellheaven1987** · December 12, 2014, 11:10 AM

Well Sweden is not a NATO member soooooo...

**Vanoi** · December 12, 2014, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by hellheaven1987

Well Sweden is not a NATO member soooooo...

They still cooperate with NATO and technically in the case of war Sweden can align itself with NATO.

**hellheaven1987** · December 12, 2014, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Vanoi

They still cooperate with NATO and technically in the case of war Sweden can align itself with NATO.

Yes but who know whether NATO would pull a

like how Italy did during WWI? Afterall NATO does able to claim since Sweden is not a full member when the conflict happens NATO would not respond to the conflict directly.

**Holger Danske** · December 17, 2014, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by Vanoi

They still cooperate with NATO and technically in the case of war Sweden can align itself with NATO.

Why not drop the pretentious "neutrality" BS and join already? Same goes for Finland. It would also make it far more easy to have a Nordic Defense Union. Oh, and I just read that my country has officially laid claim to the North Pole #santaisdanish

**Phier** · December 12, 2014, 11:31 AM

A whole 7,500?

**~~DarthShizNit~~** · December 12, 2014, 11:34 AM

They're relying on the real Swedish Reserve Army (Finland) to pull through I guess

**~~Basil II the B.S~~** · December 12, 2014, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by DarthShizNit

Well, well, well, seems the lion of the north is taking Russia being Russia very seriously as of late.

http://www.thelocal.se/20141211/swed...russian-unrest

Lion is waaay to much of a machy machy comparison for modern Sweden. Or in their words, a ''white male sexist,racist, ciscum'' choice. Golden fish of the North is probably a better choice. Looks great and is completely retarded.

http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/05/...minism-sweden/

**Phier** · December 12, 2014, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by Basil II the B.S

http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/05/...minism-sweden/

That was both painful and humorous reading.

**Sire Brenshar** · December 12, 2014, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Phier

That was both painful and humorous reading.

Yeah whatever man.

Swedes are clearly feminist idiots for pursuing a peaceful policy and by empowering women, when they should raping them and bringing

ing misery to ordinary people for the sake of being ''macho''.

The more you learn about posters like Basil and Phier...

Originally Posted by Caligula's_Horse

All this fuss over 7500 reservists?
That ranks just above writing a strongly worded letter.

Not at all?

I mean yes having conscripts train just one more month is pretty toothless, but 7500 soldiers isnt nothing, or even close to nothing like you seem to think.

And as op stated the importance is if this signals a change in Swedish policy. To which the answer is 'probably' if Russia continues or escalates from its current actions, or 'no' if Russia calms down.

**Caligula's_Horse** · December 12, 2014, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Sire Brenshar

Not at all?

I mean yes having conscripts train just one more month is pretty toothless, but 7500 soldiers isnt nothing, or even close to nothing like you seem to think.

And as op stated the importance is if this signals a change in Swedish policy. To which the answer is 'probably' if Russia continues or escalates from its current actions, or 'no' if Russia calms down.

The change in policy is well and good, but 7500 fighting men are more symbolic then anything. Russia can muster up a hundred thousand fighters at the drop of a hat without even fully tapping its standing army, never mind reserves.

Not that Russia is in any position to invade Sweden in the foreseeable future anyhow. Not without oil hitting 300$ a barrel, or a forgotten Soviet gold stash being found under the Kremlin, or something. Its economy is doing badly enough without completely cutting off trade with the west.
And economy aside, former eastern block nations are more Putin's style, and military intervention against Russia is completely unrealistic in any case not involving the invasion of a NATO country.

**Phier** · December 12, 2014, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Sire Brenshar

Yeah whatever man.

Swedes are clearly feminist idiots for pursuing a peaceful policy and by empowering women, when they should raping them and bringing

ing misery to ordinary people for the sake of being ''macho''.

The more you learn about posters like Basil and Phier...

Yea, obviously thats the only possible outcome of having a "non-feminist" foreign policy.

How could I be so blind!

Not at all?

I mean yes having conscripts train just one more month is pretty toothless, but 7500 soldiers isnt nothing, or even close to nothing like you seem to think.

And as op stated the importance is if this signals a change in Swedish policy. To which the answer is 'probably' if Russia continues or escalates from its current actions, or 'no' if Russia calms down.

Yea 7500 is pretty much nothing under the circumstances.

Russia has 750K+ active military, Sweden has 20k. Russia has 2 million with reserves Sweden has 200k. Its a symbolic gesture. I wonder how it plays into a "feminist" foreign policy. The entire concept of foreign policy having a gender is ridiculous.

**Sire Brenshar** · December 12, 2014, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Phier

Yea, obviously thats the only possible outcome of having a "non-feminist" foreign policy.

How could I be so blind!

Please, you compared contemporary Swedish nightlife with Vikings, who are representative of warlike attitude including rape and the ensuing misery of violence.

The point is that a gender empowering policy, where gender inequality is a fact of the world in every state save maybe a half dozen, is somehow not worthy of respect and also incompatible with national security aims is deplorable and childish. Theres more to life than fantasy war glory, which you most likely know nothing off anyways, and by all means Sweden should be at the very least praised for its efforts. Otherwise its basically like supporting gender inequality.

Prove me wrong.

Originally Posted by Phier

Y
Yea 7500 is pretty much nothing under the circumstances.

Russia has 750K+ active military, Sweden has 20k. Russia has 2 million with reserves Sweden has 200k.

Yeah in a numbers war without context and consequences sure Russia might invade Sweden without problem. Good job.

Originally Posted by Phier

Its a symbolic gesture. I wonder how it plays into a "feminist" foreign policy. The entire concept of foreign policy having a gender is ridiculous.

Why is it ridiculous? Because you think so?

**Heathen Hammer** · December 13, 2014, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Sire Brenshar

Yeah whatever man.

Swedes are clearly feminist idiots for pursuing a peaceful policy and by empowering women, when they should raping them and bringing

ing misery to ordinary people for the sake of being ''macho''.

Well, then good luck to them, maybe they could conscript some of those feminists and start a Tumblr division. Russians would see them, and die of laughter. Easy victory.

**Sire Brenshar** · December 13, 2014, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Heathen Hammer

Well, then good luck to them, maybe they could conscript some of those feminists and start a Tumblr division. Russians would see them, and die of laughter. Easy victory.

Yes, because real life Sweden, like every nation, can be summed up with a few national traits that that everyone there adhers to, exactly how states in video games or countryball memes are represented.

**Caligula's_Horse** · December 12, 2014, 12:15 PM

All this fuss over 7500 reservists?
That ranks just above writing a strongly worded letter.

**Stavroforos** · December 12, 2014, 12:43 PM

The Lion of the North? Okay, well, hopefully their conscripts will have fun retraining. I mean, who cares if it interrupts whatever these conscripts may be doing in real life?

**~~Raubritter~~** · December 12, 2014, 12:44 PM

@philer
Yeah this is how i see it also.

I think sweden is done even without the Russian aggression. If it would be for the US subsidised NATO, they wouldn't have the money for their welfare state and a military.