Sweden: Armed Neutral

Archive Report

Friction Between Sweden and the U.S.S.R

Shooting Down of Swedish Planes by Soviet Planes

Soviet attacks on two Swedish airplanes in flight over the Baltic Sea in mid-June directed new attention to the hazards of Sweden's middle position in the East-West power struggle. Stockholm's vigorous diplomatic reaction to the plane incident underlined the nation's determination not to knuckle under to high-handed Soviet action. But there was no outward sign that the incident itself would cause Sweden to reconsider its decision to remain outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Despite the growth of East-West tension, the Swedish government has officially adhered to a policy of avoiding “entangling alliances” in the hope that Sweden may be able to stay neutral in event of a third world war. Its traditional ...

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