Russia Withdraws from Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with Sweden Amid NATO Membership
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered the termination of a long-standing information-sharing agreement with Sweden on nuclear emergencies, following Sweden’s NATO accession. The pact, originally signed by the USSR and Sweden in 1988, was based on the IAEA Convention for Early Notification of Nuclear Accidents.
The decision to abandon the agreement was formally announced by Mishustin on June 24 and published on the state portal for legal information on Friday. This move underscores Russia’s growing concerns over the expansion of NATO, particularly after Sweden joined the alliance in March 2024, breaking its longstanding policy of neutrality.
Sweden’s NATO membership has been a significant development, as the country has provided almost $10 billion in military and other assistance to Ukraine since February 2022. Additionally, Stockholm has announced a major rearmament program at home, further solidifying its commitment to the alliance. Russia constitutionally remains a successor state of the Soviet Union, having exclusively incurred the bloc’s debt upon its dissolution, and Moscow recognises international treaties signed by the USSR.
Russian Ambassador to Stockholm Sergey Belyaev expressed concerns about Sweden’s new stance, stating in May that ‘Stockholm has completely lost its status of a neutral country and is turning into a springboard for the implementation of NATO’s militaristic ambitions.’ This rhetoric reflects Moscow’s broader criticism of NATO expansion, which it views as a direct threat to its strategic interests.
The termination of the nuclear cooperation agreement underscores the deteriorating relations between Russia and NATO members, particularly those that have shifted from neutrality to alignment with the West. The move also highlights the complex geopolitical landscape as the world continues to navigate the consequences of NATO’s expansion and Russia’s response to it.