The Strategic View From the Baltic Sea with General Michael Claesson
Podcast: School of WarPublished On: Tue Apr 14 2026
Description: General Michael Claesson is Sweden’s Chief of Defence Staff and Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces. How did Russia’s annexation of Crimea change Sweden’s global strategy? Is Russia weaker than it appears? How strong is the American alliance with Europe? With the tectonic plates of war shifting beneath our feet, the stakes are high and the future of NATO hangs in the balance. Times: 02:46 Swedish view of the world 04:19 Crimea annexation 08:50 Geopolitical logic of joining NATO 10:10 Military background 13:48 The war in Ukraine 17:53 Lessons from the American Civil War 19:40 Drone combat 25:09 Command versus autonomy 27:09 European defense against Russia 33:14 Contested Kaliningrad 36:00 Russia’s vulnerabilities 37:19 Russia’s greyzone warfare 41:11 Europe’s role in global security 44:26 American and European alliance 45:00 The case for NATO Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast and now also on The Free Press.
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