At the end of March, the United Kingdom presented its new strategy for the Arctic region "High North".

It includes Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

When the UK presented its new strategy, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace spoke to Reuters.

He then said that Britain also wants to place naval forces permanently that can rotate between Norway, Sweden, Finland and other places in the region.

- The US Navy has used permanent rotation in Norway and so it has done with NATO's presence in the Baltics and Poland.

Such a presence would probably strengthen Swedish security, but it might be difficult to sell politically to NATO-skeptical public opinion.

So I do not think it is in the cards in the first place, says Robert Dalsjö at the Swedish Defense Research Agency.

Other conditions may occur

Robert Dalsjö believes that Russia must act even more threateningly in practice if it is to be politically possible to place permanently rotating British military forces in Sweden.

- If Russia acts on a possible Swedish or Finnish NATO application by being substantially threatening - not only moving units in Russia and saying bad things, but also doing things.

Then perhaps the matter would come in a different situation.

The ambassador offers an increased British presence in Sweden.

The Minister of Defense proposes permanent rotating forces (Marine strike group)?

- One can imagine frequent co-exercises between the Swedish amphibious corps and British marines.

It would not be a big departure.

But on the other hand, permanently rotating, then you think of a slightly more substantial presence that is stable over time.

Nordic NATO solution

The question is relevant even if Finland and Sweden were to become members of NATO.

Then the governments would probably do as other Nordic countries have done, assesses chief engineer Robert Dalsjö who is an expert on NATO's military relations with Sweden.

- When reasoning about a Finnish and Swedish NATO membership, most people probably think that we could agree on the same terms as the Norwegians and Danes.

This means no permanent bases in peacetime.

That means no nuclear weapons in peacetime.