AFP, Stockholm :With an assertive Russia next door, Sweden has started to beef up its military after a decade of downsizing, but a credible deterrent may take years to achieve, analysts warn.In one of Sweden’s most dramatic steps since the end of the Cold War, it has brought back the option of using reservists to boost its military force, making no attempt to hide the fact that the main motivation behind the move is Russia.Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist went on TV this week to argue the move was necessary against the backdrop of Russia’s rearmament and its annexation of Crimea, as well as the Ukrainian conflict.The decision also came just two months after Sweden got a rough wake-up call in the form of a lengthy but ultimately futile submarine hunt in the Stockholm archipelago.Although no Swedish official ever identified the nationality of the elusive mini-sub, it was widely believed to be Russian.In September, Sweden also lodged a protest with Moscow after the incursion of two Russian fighter planes into the Nordic country’s airspace.”There is a pattern of Russia elbowing into its neighbours, including Sweden,” said Stefan Hedlund, researcher at Uppsala University’s Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies.”It could even be happening a little more with Sweden, because maybe they see that Sweden is a country with no defence capability whatsoever,” he told AFP.Following this week’s decision, the Swedish armed forces can oblige 7,500 Swedes-who received military training between 2004 and 2011 — to participate in training exercises from the end of 2015.The measure is a sign that traditionally pacifist and unaligned Sweden, which marks two centuries of continuous peace this year, is weighing new options.”It’s fully possible that Sweden becomes a NATO member and that we reintroduce conscription and build up our defence,” said Hedlund.”But it’s exactly as possible that nothing of this happens.”Much uncertainty surrounds Russia’s intentions in the Baltic, but there is growing concern that the Kremlin could seek to push the envelope in the region the same way it did in Ukraine.
