- For Sweden, this is an opportunity to participate in an operational concept with NATO countries without being a member of NATO. In this way, we can also actively prepare to be taken seriously by the Swedish solidarity policy, which says that we should not be passive if any Nordic country or EU country is attacked.

In the Lisbon Treaty of 2009, EU countries promise to help each other in a military attack, but according to Westberg, the Swedish side's interest in preparing has been rather cool. When the security situation worsened after Russia's occupation of Crimea, Sweden instead sought closer contacts with NATO, among other things in the host country agreement of 2014.

A course change

Membership of the French European Intervention Initiative (EII) can be seen as a course change.

- Here I see a certain fluctuation in the fact that you are actually activating the EU track also in matters concerning the security here at home, says Jacob Westberg.

He does not think that EII should be seen as a competitor to NATO or the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, but as a complement.

However, Europe's countries cannot count on the United States as a guarantor of security in the same way as before, says Jacob Westberg.

- The Europeans have long taken the American presence in Europe for granted. If you look at this from an American perspective, you can say that there is no longer any overwhelming threat from the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, why can't Europeans take care of themselves without money from American taxpayers?