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Swedish alarm after defence chiefs' war warning
A warning to Swedes to prepare for war from two top defence officials prompts accusations of alarmism.
www.bbc.co.uk
A warning to Swedes from two top defence officials to prepare for war has prompted concern and accusations of alarmism.
Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin told a defence conference "there could be war in Sweden".
His message was then backed up by military commander-in-chief Gen Micael Byden, who said all Swedes should prepare mentally for the possibility.
However, opposition politicians have objected to the tone of the warnings.
Ex-prime minister Magdalena Andersson told Swedish TV that while the security situation was serious, "it is not as if war is just outside the door."
Children's rights organisation Bris said that its national helpline did not usually receive calls about the possibility of war. But this week, it had seen an increase in worried calls from youngsters who had seen news reports or posts on TikTok talking about it.
"This was well prepared, it wasn't something blurted out," Bris spokeswoman Maja Dahl told the BBC. "They should have provided information meant for kids when they come out with this kind of information for grown-ups."
Despite the starkness of the messaging, the remarks from the civil defence minister and military chief are being seen as a wake-up call.
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Most likely this a warning to prepare for the event of an insane decision by Americans to elect Trump.
If Ukraine is abandoned, war will be at the doorsteps of many European nations. With the threats made to Finland, it's not hard to see how Sweden (as a new NATO member) would be immediately drawn in.