WSJ: Scandinavia Thrives In A Divided World
1- 11.10.2026, 14:26
- 1,162
Sweden and Denmark are strengthening their defenses and reducing their dependence on the United States.
Sweden and Denmark are actively strengthening their defenses, developing their defense industries, and seeking alternatives to American technology amid a growing threat from Russia and uncertainty in their relations with the United States. At the same time, both countries are coping with these changes better than many other European nations, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Stockholm and Copenhagen are increasing military spending and returning to large-scale conscription. Sweden plans to draft 9,000 people this year, compared to 3,500 in 2018. Denmark has extended conscription to women and increased the length of service from four to 11 months.
At the same time, the countries are trying to reduce their dependence on American defense systems and technologies. Sweden is purchasing frigates from France, while the French military is acquiring Swedish GlobalEye radar reconnaissance aircraft. Denmark, which has a less developed domestic defense industry, is beginning to produce drones for Ukraine.
“We must ensure that we do not depend on American technology,” said Denmark’s Minister for Business and Competitiveness Martin Lidegård.
The countries are also expanding trade beyond the United States. Danish and Swedish companies are seeking new markets in Canada, Australia, and India, while deepening their cooperation with one another in the fields of quantum technology, data centers, and space.
Fiscal discipline also plays an important role. Following the crisis of the 1990s, Sweden tightened its budget rules and strengthened the independence of its central bank. Denmark also has sound public finances, which allow it to increase defense spending without the same budgetary pressure experienced by a number of other European countries.
“Strengthening defense has become a necessity, and Denmark’s public finances are stable enough for us to afford it,” noted Thomas Harr , a representative of the Danish central bank .
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