Current events are affecting prospects for implementing Sweden’s Arctic Policy. The tense relationship in Europe with the ongoing Russo-Ukranian War is challenging Swedish security policy and raising demands for countermeasures. A pending membership in NATO may be the most significant. Its importance lies in the increased interest in the Arctic region by NATO and its global opponents. 

Sweden’s Arctic Policy, released in 2020, covers the Swedish priorities in the Arctic Region. The document primarily focuses on security, climate and environment, business and trade relations, and good living conditions. Contemporary developments in the region bring implications for domestic and foreign policy in the next 12 months. Moreover, Sweden has a new government in place since the elections in September 2022. The transition will likely include different priorities than those developed by the previous government.