Samnytt’s Mattias Albinsson comments in this text on a Säpo report released last week, in which Russia is identified as the greatest threat to Sweden.

“Russia continues to constitute the greatest threat to Sweden.”

This was established by the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) in an “assessment” presented last Friday. Or as Defense Minister Pål Jonsson has said repeatedly: Russia constitutes the “defining” threat to Sweden.

Rhetoric portraying Russia as the great looming threat is something Swedes have heard incessantly for decades. This rhetoric has ramped up with each Russian military intervention in former Soviet republics like Georgia, Kazakhstan, and especially Ukraine.

READ MORE: Government: Sweden to be attacked first in any NATO-Russia war

Since the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February nearly four years ago, this point of view has become all-encompassing. Anyone in the Swedish public sector who questions the image of Russia as “the greatest threat” doesn’t last long in their position.

Can Be Questioned

There is, however, reason to factually question how great a threat Russia poses specifically to Sweden.

For Ukraine, Russia is, demonstrably, a major threat. And Russian interest in securing the so-called Suwalki Corridor, which separates Russia-allied Belarus from the Kaliningrad exclave, gives the Baltic states reason to review their own security. It is no coincidence that NATO has gathered several thousand troops and stationed them there.

But is there honestly anyone who believes Russia will attempt a massive operation to seize Gotland, storm Blekinge’s shores with landing craft, and drop paratroopers over Arlanda?

If you listen to Säpo chief and Hilda member Charlotte von Essen, it almost sounds like that’s the case.

“The security situation remains serious, and the threat facing Sweden is expected to keep worsening for the next several years. We are prepared for that,” she says, warning that “the Russian security-threatening activity may increase in scope and severity.”

ALSO READ: Here are the members of the Expo-linked power network Hilda

Threats That Were Invited In

Sure. Säpo points above all to the Russian intelligence and security services as threats, in the form of intelligence activities targeted at Sweden. Espionage. In other words: Russia spies on Sweden.

But this threat, insofar as it can be defined as that, is to a large extent self-inflicted. The result of a government decision led by the Moderates seventeen years ago to “increase diversity” within the Armed Forces and other sensitive agencies.

It was under this diversity banner that the Iran-born brothers Peyman and Payam Kia got jobs in Military Intelligence (Must) and at Säpo. Both are now behind bars, convicted of aiding “the Russian intelligence service GRU.”

READ MORE: INDICTMENT: The Armed Forces were ordered to ‘increase diversity’ – hired Iranians who spied for Russia

The investigation against the Kia brothers revealed, as is well known, that there were suspicions they might have dual loyalties due to their background. Still, they were given security-classified jobs and were able to sell defense secrets to Russia.

Another man, who worked for years at the Armed Forces, is currently held on suspicion of spying for Russia. He also has an Iranian immigrant background.

ALSO READ: Former Armed Forces employee detained on suspicion of spying

So it appears that parts of the Russian threat that can clearly be defined are, at least in part, self-inflicted. Deliberately so. It’s hardly Putin’s fault if Säpo and the Armed Forces hire a bunch of foreigners they suspect are unreliable, just to “increase diversity.”

Putin, of course, is happy to accept this gift. But it is not his fault.

Iran on the List

I’m not saying that Russia is not a threat to Sweden. But there are actors, including states, that perhaps should be placed higher on the list. Ones that simply pose a greater threat to Sweden. At least right now.

One of these states is Iran.

In January last year, the anti-Islamic commentator and Quran-burner Salwan Momika was shot dead in Södertälje. Syrian citizen Bashar Zakkour is wanted in absentia for the murder and is now suspected of hiding out in Iran. It’s not far-fetched to suspect that the killing of Momika was an Iranian contract hit.

ALSO READ: This is the Syrian being hunted for the murder of Salwan Momika

The so-called “Kurdish Fox,” Rawa Majid, has for the past three years been running his criminal empire from Iran. There are intelligence reports that individuals including Majid cooperate with the Iranian regime to carry out attacks and terrorist acts in Europe, mainly against Israeli and Jewish targets.

ALSO READ: Iran said to hire gangs in Sweden for attacks and terror

And, as pointed out earlier, several of the spies exposed in Sweden have Iranian backgrounds. However, again, it might not be the fault of the Iranian regime that the Armed Forces and Säpo hire Iranians.

Ali Khamenei is also, naturally, pleased to accept.

USA the Biggest Threat?

And so we come to the elephant in the room: the USA.

Donald Trump has, repeatedly since becoming president, declared that he wants the US to annex Greenland; an autonomous island that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Both Denmark and Greenland have said no.

But Trump has made it clear he doesn’t care what Denmark or Greenland want; he doesn’t care about international law, he doesn’t respect Europe or Europeans, he disregards whatever economic or humanitarian consequences his actions might have—and he has several times threatened military force if he doesn’t get his way.

The US, compared to Russia, has entirely different capabilities to make real its military threats. Denmark is presently sending troops to Greenland; officially to participate in an exercise. But it has been communicated that Danish troops stationed on Greenland have orders to “shoot first and ask questions later” should the US decide to make an unannounced appearance.

ALSO READ: Danish order: Greenland to be defended militarily

In the event of a military confrontation between the US and Denmark, it cannot be ruled out that the US would strike military bases in Denmark, such as the naval base in Frederikshavn or the Karup airbase in Jutland, in order to complicate Danish reinforcements to Greenland. It is naïve to believe such a war would remain confined to Greenland alone.

And whether we like it or not, there would then be an imminent risk that Sweden would, in one way or another, be drawn into the conflict.

Therefore, I would personally place the USA a bit higher on the list of the greatest threats to Sweden. Maybe even at the very top.