Week 9: "This is Putin's war. Not Olga and Ivans ”- FUF.se

Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine continues to dominate the news flow. Debaters and lead writers have, among other things, discussed Swedish arms support, an impending refugee crisis, the conflict's connection to the climate crisis and how ordinary Russians end up in trouble with the war.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine remained a central theme in last week's debate and the question of how Sweden can contribute received a new answer at the beginning of the week when the Riksdag decided to approve arms deliveries to Ukraine. Divided opinions prevail about the decision.

- Send the weapons Ukraine requests, type Liberals foreign policy spokesman Joar Forssell in Aftonbladet.

He believes that Sweden needs a foreign policy that does not shy away from any means in the defense of the freedom of Ukraine, Sweden and Europe. In en another debate article in Aftonbladet, thirty left-wing parties believe that it was the wrong decision of their party to say yes to the arms support, which they initially opposed. What is needed is a reduced, not increased, military escalation, they believe, and Sweden should instead prioritize humanitarian efforts and diplomacy.

At the same time, fears of a growing refugee crisis in connection with the war in Ukraine are also rising. The UN refugee agency UNHCR estimates that the number of refugees may exceed seven million and that it is therefore important that EU member states are prepared.

- There is much to suggest that we can move towards the biggest refugee catastrophe in Europe since World War II, type Mårten Löfberg, Secretary General of the Asylum Law Center in DN.

The authors Farhad Jahanmahan and Cecilia Persson reminds at the same time that refugee crises are currently taking place in several parts of the world and that it is important to ensure that the right to asylum applies to everyone. The EU must not allow the crisis in Ukraine to become a pretext for expelling those in need of protection from other areas of conflict.

Several debaters have also raised the issue of ordinary Russians getting caught up in the Ukraine conflict.

- This is Putin's war. Not Olga and Ivans, type Susanne Nyström in DN as a critique of the former moderate Minister of Defense Mikael Odenberg's proposal to deport all Russian citizens from Sweden.

In the shadow of the war, attention is also drawn to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s latest report, which emphasizes the need for comprehensive and urgent adaptations to protect against the effects of climate change. DN's editorial staff writes that the report, like the crisis in Ukraine, highlights the need for good preparedness. They believe that in both cases the preventive investments have long been too small and that the bill is growing as a result.