Magnus Petersson: Sweden and the Baltic Sea from the Cold War to NATO

From Viking sea routes to a NATO-dominated security landscape, the Baltic Sea has long been a decisive geopolitical arena. Magnus Petersson, Professor in International Relations, places Sweden’s NATO accession in historical perspective. Petersson revisits the Baltic during the Cold War, when Soviet dominance shaped regional strategy and Sweden pursued armed neutrality – combining strong national defence and secret Western cooperation. He challenges the claim that today’s situation is the most dangerous since 1945, contrasting the current NATO-centered Baltic with the far more structurally precarious Cold War order. The discussion explores Sweden’s defence reductions after 1991, lessons for Ukraine, and what role Sweden can now play within NATO amid renewed great-power competition. The interview was conducted by Jack Dickens, Commissioning Editor at Engelsberg Ideas, and recorded in November 2025 during the seminar The Baltic Sea – A Geopolitical History. See also Axess Television's website: https://www.axesstelevision.com/ Axess Television on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axesstelevision/ Axess Television on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/axesstelevision