Sweden’s defense officials have come under fire because their messages warning of a possible war with Russia have caused concern among young people.
The Children and Young People’s Helpline is said to have been inundated with calls after a warning about an “armed attack” from Russia spread on TikTok.
Bris, a children’s rights organization that provides support and advice to young people with mental health problems or dealing with teenage pregnancy, reported an increase in calls after videos of senior military figures warning of the possibility of war circulated on TikTok.
Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the civil defense minister, said at the Folk och Forsvars conference on Saturday that “there could be war in Sweden”.
“Have you considered whether you have time to join a voluntary defense organization? If not: get started,” he said.
Sweden is expected to join NATO in July, ending more than two centuries of neutrality and ushering in a shift in the national psyche toward greater militarization.
The Swedish government has pledged to meet NATO’s goal of 2 percent of GDP for defense by the end of this year, which is twice as much as in 2020.
“They should have given special advice intended for children”
Maja Dahl, spokeswoman for Bris, believes that Bohlin should have thought about how young people would interpret his “well-prepared” remarks.
“They should have put out information intended for children when they come out with this kind of information for adults,” she stated.
The Swedish defense minister and most senior generals, however, echoed Bohlin’s statements and supported him, and told the Swedes that the country had no choice but to prepare for war.
Pal Jonson, the defense minister, told a conference on Sunday that “an armed attack on Sweden cannot be ruled out”.
“War can come to us too,” he said.
“These serious times require clarity of vision, ability to act and persistence – clarity of vision to understand that Russia’s goal is the eradication of free Ukraine and the creation of a Europe where ‘power is right’ with buffer states and spheres of interest,” he stated.
“See news from Ukraine”
General Micael Byden, the commander-in-chief, warned citizens on Swedish television that they must “prepare mentally”.
“Look at the news from Ukraine and ask yourself simple questions: if this happens here, am I ready? What should I do? The more people think like this, consider the matter, and prepare, the stronger our society will be,” he said.
