Swedish-Bildt defence of Norway

Launching a Swedish defence study last week, Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, said that his country would no longer be passive if Norway or Iceland was attacked by a third party.
Although this is merely an extension of neutral Bildt's earlier commitment to defend EU member states, it is the first time since the state-union with Norway ended in 1905 that Sweden has said officially that it would defend its Nordic neighbour – a NATO member. Bildt made it clear that the country's latest step away from neutrality had absolutely nothing to do with the Swedes lobbying intensely to make sure that the Norwegians buy Swedish-made JAS Gripen fighter jets instead of American-made jets from Lockheed-Martin. Of course it doesn't...