Sweden's military doctrine is based on total defense in the event of a possible war. While total defense means that all people are expected to fight against an invasion, it does not imply that Sweden is the only actor in this fight. It is essential for the country's defense to be carried out with its allies in the European Union and NATO.
Despite the challenges posed by a cold and difficult geography and hostile states, Sweden, the most populous country on the Scandinavian peninsula, has remained a sovereign state for over a thousand years. Although the country's head of state is the king and the system of government is a constitutional monarchy, the royal family has not had an effective role in the country since the adoption of the constitution in 1974. Instead, parliamentary democracy operates in practice, and the most influential position in the country's politics is held by the prime minister.
In Sweden, the government can play an active role not only in the executive branch but also in the legislative branch. Therefore, forming a government and gaining superiority in both the executive and legislative branches is of utmost importance. The judiciary serves as the main balance to the government. Currently, the largest groups in the Swedish parliament are the Social Democrats and the centrists, and therefore, there are no significant differences in opinions in the country's parliament.
Sweden has always considered defense and security as a top priority due to the constant threats posed by the neighboring states. Since the 17th century, Sweden has been fighting against Russia, first the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union, and now the Russian Federation. As a result, defense and security are of vital importance for Sweden. The country shares a similar fate with its Western neighbor Norway, its Northeastern neighbor Finland, and its southern sea neighbor Denmark. Although Sweden does not share a direct border with Russia, the distance between the two countries is only 260 kilometers, which is a potential threat in the event of an international crisis or war.
Especially the situation that began with Russia's annexation of Crimea and turned into a large-scale war between Ukraine and Russia has become a priority threat for border countries in the sphere of influence of the Russian Federation, such as Sweden. For this reason, the country has begun efforts to become a NATO member with Finland in 2022. Although they are not NATO members, these states are already part of the NATO logistics system because they are considered "Level 2 Non-NATO Allies" by NATO. Therefore, Sweden complies with NATO's standardization recommendations and agreements, although not entirely.