Sweden’s counter-intelligence and security agency Säpo has described the country’s security situation as “serious”, and that developments in the US and other factors could see it worsen.
Sweden’s counter-intelligence and security agency Säpo has described the country’s security situation as “serious”, and that developments in the US and other factors could see it worsen.
Sweden’s counter-intelligence and security agency Säpo has described the country’s security situation as “serious”, and that developments in the US and other factors could see it worsen.
In a new report, Säpo’s head of operations Fredrik Hallström described the country’s national security situation as “serious” and did not rule out the possibility it could become worse in future.
“The security situation is serious and there is a risk that we could see further negative developments,” Hallström said in the report.
“Conflicts can become ripples on water, they can develop at an ever-increasing pace with waves breaking in Sweden as the world sees increased conflict,” he said.
Hallström said developments in the US could contribute to Sweden’s security deteriorating.
Representatives of the Trump administration have openly supported far-right parties and groups in European countries, such as the UK and Germany, which he described as “serious”.
“In previous years we’ve seen an increased import of violent far-right extremist propaganda, primarily from the US, and how that caused a large amount of far-right attacks in the Western world,” he told a press conference on Tuesday.
In the same press conference, Säpo head Charlotte von Essen said that there is a “significant risk” that the Swedish security situation could worsen further.
She added that “developments in the USA” could affect Swedish security, although she said it was too early to say exactly how.
“Naturally, we are constantly following what is happening in the USA and elsewhere in the world,” she said. “A lot is happening and there is also a lot of speculation and statements being made.”
“For Säpo, it’s about us making an assessment of what this means for Sweden and for Swedish domestic security. We need to follow the situation closely and be prepared for any changes which occur,” von Essen said.
Säpo warned however that Russia was still the greatest threat to Sweden.
Sweden’s entry into Nato resulting in a “changed and increased intelligence interest from, above all, Russia,” the agency said.
Despite this, Russia is not the only country considered to pose a threat to Sweden, with the report citing China and Iran as other countries which “try to influence the rules-based world order”.
“We can see that primarily Russia, China and Iran exploit weaknesses in sensitive organisations linked to information security, personnel security and physical security,” said Säpo’s head of security Carolina Björnsdotter Paasikivi.
“They are acting opportunistically and in the long-term, and it’s therefore important that work to protect security is carried out continuously and not just as occasional specific actions, as the need for protection is constantly changing,” she said.
Sweden’s terror threat level has stood at level four on a five-point scale since August 2023, with Säpo choosing to keep it at that level as recently as January 2025.
“Although we can see that Sweden is no longer as much of a focus for propaganda from international terror organisations as a prioritised target for attacks, the threat situation is still complex,” Säpo’s Björnsdotter Paasikivi said.
She said the agency can see signs that the terror threat is “diversified,” with violent Islamist and far-right extremists both posing a threat, alongside young people who are radicalised online.