We have a clear doctrine in Sweden that we last reiterated when we joined NATO, he tells TT in connection with a visit to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is docked in the port of Malmö.
It is that we do not have permanent foreign troops or nuclear weapons stationed on our Swedish soil in peacetime. That doctrine applies, so it is not relevant.
Deterrence
However, there is no similar agreement on what applies in wartime.
"If we were to end up in a completely different situation, that particular formulation would not apply," Kristersson says, without answering the question of whether nuclear weapons could be an issue.
The whole purpose of deterrence is to prevent that from happening, so I'm not going to have any more detailed thoughts on this.
Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated earlier on Friday that nuclear weapons on Swedish soil cannot be ruled out in wartime, reports SR Ekot.
"If there were to be war, we would have openings for everything that can ensure Sweden's survival and Swedish security, of course," the minister told the radio.
Gray zone situation
The Liberals also do not want to rule out having nuclear weapons on Swedish soil in time of war.
"Now that we are equipping and strengthening our own capabilities in Europe, we must also create independence. And in this situation, the Liberals and I believe that nothing should be ruled out," Gulan Avci, the Liberals' defense policy spokesperson, tells the radio.
Earlier in February, the Sweden Democrats opened up about having nuclear weapons on Swedish soil in a gray zone situation where Sweden is between war and peace.
Kristersson does not want to comment on nuclear weapons in a gray-zone situation.
It won't be worthwhile to delve into this now, he says.
