Jonson, L. Soviet Policy towards Sweden and the Region of Northern Europe under Gorbachev. Cooperation and Conflict, XXV, 1990, 1-19

Abstract

When Gorbachev took over in March 1985 the relationship between the USSR and neutral Sweden was worse than it had been for many years. How did a normalization come about between the two countries? How has Soviet policy towards Sweden and the North European region (the Nordic countries and northern waters) changed since Gorbachev came to power? Soviet policy will be examined here with regard to verbal behaviour — how Soviet observers publicly describe the political situation — as well as with regard to non-verbal military and diplomatic behaviour. In the first section Soviet policy towards Sweden is presented. The normalization of Soviet-Swedish relations as well as the changes in Soviet policy since then will be analysed. The second section deals with Soviet views on the security policy pattern of the region. This is followed by a section in which Soviet policy towards the North European region is analysed. Also included is an analysis of Soviet behaviour and of Soviet assessments of armament and superpower tension in the region. In the final section some conclusions are drawn concerning Soviet policy under Gorbachev. The normalization process between the two countries started before Gorbachev came to power. In 1986, however, he started a diplomatic offensive to improve bilateral relations with the Nordic countries. He failed to address the main issue, namely, the strategic confrontation between the superpowers. Soviet images of an American threat in the North European area, in contrast to the Central European scene, do not point to any likely policy changes in the near future. Soviet policy in the region remains contradictory — a function, perhaps, of Soviet politics being in a state of flux.