The expert pointed out the political nature of Sweden's military exercises in the Arctic.

Sweden's military exercises in the Arctic, aimed at confronting Russia, are of a political nature, driven by the anti-Russian rhetoric of NATO and the European Union (EU). The Russian Federation has never threatened Sweden, but on the contrary has sought opportunities for cooperation. This was stated to Izvestia on March 20 by former special forces officer, retired Colonel Anatoly Matviychuk.

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the brigade being trained in northern Sweden to confront the Russian Federation in the Arctic is expanding most actively among other army units. One of the soldiers also stressed that Russia is the key threat to Sweden. The journalists, in turn, noted that the Russian Federation has an advantage over NATO in the Arctic due to the relaunch of Soviet-era military bases.

"Sweden is a neophyte of NATO, it needs to prove its loyalty to this bloc now, and therefore its policy is based on Russophobia in order to trade Russophobia. Sweden is not in danger, it has lived outside NATO for so many years, and Russia has never attacked it, on the contrary, we have tried to solve problems in the Arctic and conduct joint projects. This is pure politics, pure propaganda aimed at demonizing Russia," Matviychuk commented.

According to him, in this way the Swedish authorities are trying to intimidate their population with a threat from Russia, so that citizens do not oppose an increase in military spending to the detriment of social spheres.

Earlier, on December 18 last year, Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Maritime Board, said that tensions in the Arctic region were growing as a result of NATO's actions.

Prior to that, on September 17, Commander of the Air Force The United States in Europe and Africa, General James Hecker, said that the North Atlantic Alliance is exploring the idea of creating a joint air operations control center in the Arctic.