 | |
 Sweden |  United States |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Sweden, Washington, D.C. | Embassy of the United States, Stockholm |
| Envoy | |
| AmbassadorUrban Ahlin | AmbassadorChristine Toretti |
The relations between theUnited States of America and theKingdom of Sweden reach back to the days of theAmerican Revolutionary War. The Kingdom of Sweden was the first country not formally engaged in the conflict (although around a hundred Swedish volunteers partook on the side of thePatriots[1]) to recognize the United States before theTreaty of Paris. TheTreaty of Amity and Commerce was signed subsequently in 1783 betweenBenjamin Franklin and Swedish representativeGustaf Philip Creutz.
In the 19th century, relations were largely cordial.Masses of Swedes emigrated to the United States from the 1840s–1920s, estimated at around a quarter of the Swedish population. The immigrants were eager for the promise of opportunity and land; many settled in the American Midwest. The result was a substantialSwedish American population. In the 20th century, the countries were fellow democracies (with the end of the Swedish monarchy's power after World War I) and maintained cordial if distant relations. Sweden maintained official neutrality but supplied nearbyNazi Germany duringWorld War II, causing some tension with the Allies.
During theCold War, Swedendid not join NATO and maintained a neutral status between the Western and Eastern Bloc, although its democratic and mixed capitalist approach was generally more in tune with the West and the United States. After the end of theVietnam War, which was deeply unpopular in Sweden, relations between the two countries improved. The two countries have been largely friendly, and the United States supported Sweden'sNATO membership. Under a comprehensive mandate, Sweden's nonalignment policy has led it to serve as theprotecting power for the United States and to represent Washington inNorth Korea on consular matters.[2] On 3 August 2022, theU.S. Senate unanimously approvedFinland and Sweden's accession bids to joinNATO.[3]U.S. PresidentJoe Biden approved the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden in August 2022.[4]
Sweden'saccession into NATO was finalized on 7 March 2024.[5] The United States hasobserver status with the regionalBEAC andCBSS.
Like many European powers,Sweden participated in thecolonization of North America that started in the 17th century. The first Swedish colony along the banks of theDelaware River was established in 1638(seeNew Sweden).
Sweden under kingGustavus III was the first country not engaged in theAmerican Revolutionary War to recognize the young American republic. The Swedish CountAxel von Fersen was a distinguished soldier during the war, serving as an interpreter between GeneralRochambeau and GeneralWashington. Also the Swedish countCurt von Stedingk, led the second assault during theSiege of Savannah in 1779. Both were made members of theSociety of the Cincinnati.
In 1783 the United States' Ambassador to Paris,Benjamin Franklin, and the Swedish Ambassador, CountGustaf Philip Creutz, signed aTreaty of Amity and Commerce.[6]
From 1801-02, Sweden was allied with the United States during theFirst Barbary War, fought against theBarbary corsairs to prevent further disruption of trade in theMediterranean Sea.[7]
During the period between 1820–1930 approximately 1.3 million Swedes, a third of the country's population,emigrated to North America and most of them to the United States. Like theIrish diaspora it was sparked by poverty in Sweden, which was exacerbated during bad years. OnlyBritain (especially Ireland) and Norway had a higher emigration rate. Most of the Swedish emigrants settled in the central and Western United States. By 1910, Chicago had a greater population of Swedes thanGothenburg.Minnesota was also a place where many Swedish emigrants settled. The majority of Swedish-Americans fought in theAmerican Civil War on the Union side.[8] (See alsoJohn EricssonUSS Monitor)
In 1938, on the tercentenary of New Sweden, theDelaware monument was inaugurated by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt andPrince Bertil of Sweden. Roosevelt said in his speech:[9]
Nor have we as Americans forgotten that after the War of the Revolution, Sweden was the first neutral European power to negotiate a treaty of amity and trade with our young and struggling nation. All these things we Americans recall today with grateful hearts.
The first Swedish head of government who met with a US President wasPrime MinisterTage Erlander, who visitedHarry S. Truman at theWhite House in 1952.
The period between 1960 and 1968 also marked a cold period in the political relations between Sweden and the U.S., mainly due to the Swedish government's vocal opposition to theVietnam War. In February 1968, the US recalledits Ambassador from Sweden after the Swedish Minister of Education and future prime ministerOlof Palme, aSocial Democrat, had participated in a protest in Stockholm against the war together with the North Vietnamese Ambassador to the Soviet UnionNguyen Tho Chan.[10] The post of US Ambassador to Sweden remained vacant until February 1970. In December 1972, Olof Palme (then Prime Minister) made a speech on Swedish national radio where he compared the ongoingUS bombings of Hanoi to some of the worst atrocities committed by theNazis. The US government called the comparison a "gross insult" and once again decided to freeze its diplomatic relations with Sweden (this time the freeze lasted for over a year).[10]
Relations improved whenThorbjörn Fälldin became Swedish prime minister in 1976, and following theassassination of Olof Palme in 1986 and the succession ofIngvar Carlsson as new Prime Minister, Swedish-American relations improved. Ingvar Carlsson met with PresidentRonald Reagan in 1987, the first time that a Swedish Prime Minister was invited to the White House since 1961, when Erlander paid a visit to Kennedy.
Carlsson's successor as Prime Minister,Carl Bildt, visited both PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush in 1992 and PresidentBill Clinton in 1994.
Immediately after theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, the Swedish government expressed its sympathies with the U.S. and supported the U.S.-ledinvasion of Afghanistan.[11][12] However, like many other European governments, Sweden opposed the2003 invasion of Iraq, reasoning that the invasion was a breach ofinternational law.[13] However, Prime Minister Göran Persson was relatively mild in his criticism of the U.S. compared to Olof Palme's strong criticism during the Vietnam War.
In the Statement of Government Policy presented to theRiksdag on October 6, 2006, the new centre-right Prime MinisterFredrik Reinfeldt declared that the new government will work for a "strengthening of thetransatlantic link". Reinfeldt's party, theModerate Party, is more pro-American than the social democrats and supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq and Swedish membership ofNATO. Reinfeldt visited President Bush at the White House on May 15, 2007.
According to a 2012 Gallup poll, 36% of Swedes approve of U.S. leadership, with 30% disapproving and 34% uncertain.[14]
Following PresidentDonald Trump's first2020 presidential campaign rally at which he referred to "what's happeninglast night in Sweden" the Swedish government requested clarification from the U.S. State Department in regards to Trump's understanding of what was going on in Sweden.[15][16] On February 19, theCabinet of Sweden requested an explanation from the White House and theSwedish Embassy in the United States offered to inform the US administration in the future about Swedish immigration and integration policies.[17] On February 23, theSwedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs referred to discussions about Sweden's refugee policies as "simplistic and occasionally completely inaccurate."[18]On March 6, 2018 Prime Minister Stefan Löfven visited the United States and met with President Donald Trump.
In June 2019, American rapperASAP Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, was arrested and held on remand in Sweden over a physical altercation in Stockholm. President Donald Trump made severaltweets where he demanded that the Swedish government release Mayers. A spokesperson for prime minister Löfven released a statement in response to Trump's request which stated that the government was not allowed to influence legal proceedings in Sweden and that "everyone is equal before the law".[19]
The United States and Sweden have strong economic relations. The United States is, as of 2022, the third-largest Swedish export trade partner,[20] and U.S. companies are the most represented foreign companies in Sweden.
Although Sweden has a longstanding policy of political neutrality in international affairs, Sweden decided to apply for full membership ofNATO in May 2022, following theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[21] Sweden is a participant in theEuro-Atlantic Partnership Council. Sweden currently participates with around 500 troops in theInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF), under the command of NATO, inAfghanistan. Four parties represented in the Parliament, the centre-rightAlliance, support NATO membership. During theLibyan Civil War of 2011, theSwedish Air Force worked closely with NATO and the USA.
During theCold War, the Swedish government secretly made preparations to receive military aid from the United States in case ofSoviet aggression.[22]
Sweden also aided the US in secrecy, possibly most famously when four Swedish pilots were awarded US Air Medals for saving the highly classifiedLockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane from Soviet hands. The US pilots of the SR-71 stated that had Sweden not intervened and escorted the plane to safety on 29 June 1987, a dramatic escalation to the Cold War could have occurred through an international crisis.[23] The event was classified for over 30 years, and when the report was unsealed, data from the NSA showed that severalMiG-25s had been dispatched with the order to shoot down the SR-71 or force it to land after it had gotten an engine failure. A MiG-25 had locked a missile on the damaged SR-71, but as the aircraft was under escort by the SwedishSaab 37 Viggen pilots no missiles were fired. On 29 November 2018, the four Swedish pilots involved were awarded medals from the US Air Force.[24]
Reflecting the fact that Sweden has a higher proportion of English speakers than most other countries which were never part of theBritish Empire, Swedish producers and songwriters have played a significant role in the sound of American pop music since the 1990s. One in particular,Max Martin, has written and produced moreBillboard Hot 100 number one hits than any American songwriter or producer.[25]
According to a 2025PewResearch Center survey, 19% of Swedes had a favorable view of the United States, while 79% had a negative view, the most negative of 24 countries being surveyed.[26]
In particular, Sweden functions as Protective Power for the United States ... including consular responsibility for citizens.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Later Thursday. Kristersson will visit the White House and then be a guest of honor at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address to Congress.
He pointed out Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who attended the address as a guest of first lady Jill Biden. Sweden officially joined NATO on Thursday. First lady Jill Biden applauds Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol, March 7, 2024.
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