MALMO, Sweden, Feb 28, (V7N) – Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Friday his country will not host French nuclear weapons in peacetime, though he acknowledged war could alter the situation.  

Speaking during a visit to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, Kristersson reaffirmed Sweden’s doctrine, reiterated upon joining NATO, that no permanent foreign troops or nuclear arms are stationed on Swedish soil in peacetime. “This doctrine applies, so it is not an option,” he told reporters.  

However, he added: “If there were to be a war that somehow affected us, then it would be a completely different situation.”  

Sweden ended two centuries of military non-alignment after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, joining NATO in March 2024 as its 32nd member. While the United States and Russia hold thousands of nuclear warheads, only France and Britain possess atomic weapons in Europe.  

“As long as Russia has nuclear weapons in our immediate vicinity, it is good that two European democracies also have nuclear weapons,” Kristersson said.  

END/WD/RH