France is to initiate an in-depth dialogue on nuclear deterrence with a handful of European countries, including Sweden.
Ulf Kristersson has had two separate conversations about this with the Social Democrats' (S) leader Magdalena Andersson, as well as with SD's Jimmie Åkesson, and has accepted.
"I considered it a major decision to agree to a dialogue about how French nuclear capabilities could cooperate with the conventional capabilities of other countries, in our case Sweden," says Kristersson.
Kristersson: Swaying precariously
But Andersson does not support a nuclear weapons dialogue with France.
"He gives the impression that I have somehow said yes to this. I have not," she told Dagens ETC on Wednesday.
Kristersson said he thought Andersson was on board.
"I'm not going to put any words in her mouth, but I felt after those conversations that it was not the case that the Social Democrats intended to oppose the decision that the government made."
"I think there is a certain amount of skepticism on the left about this issue," says Kristersson.
Keeping the Riksdag informed
When Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) is asked how she views the disagreement, she responds that Sweden is "very unclear and confused when it comes to security policy" and that it would be irresponsible to refuse the dialogue.
Andersson would have preferred to see the nuclear weapons issue handled through a cross-bloc agreement, while Maria Malmer Stenergard says she wants to preserve the tradition in Sweden of a very broad anchoring of security-policy decisions.
"We will, of course, keep the Riksdag updated on what emerges from that dialogue and any steps that we believe should be taken thereafter."
