More Swedes are in favour of joining Nato than those who oppose it for the first time, a major poll taken on Tuesday has shown.
The result is signalling changing sentiments after the Nordic state mobilised troops, helicopters and ships to hunt a suspected Russian submarine in its waters.
A weekend survey conducted by pollsters Novus for TV4 showed 37 per cent support joining Nato while 36 per cent were against.
It was the first time in a Novus poll that more respondents were in favour than against, and challenged the policy of the new centre-left government of Prime Minister Stefan Lofven which has ruled out joining Nato – although it says it will continue to participate in some alliance operations.
Sweden’s defence capability was already in the spotlight after Russian warplanes staged a mock bombing run on Sweden last year
Polls had previously shown that a clear majority oppose Nato membership in Sweden and Finland.
But the week-long search in waters outside Stockholm, which ended without any submarine being found, was the latest incident to spark questions over Sweden's ability to defend itself amid the Ukraine crisis which has moved the goal posts in the area.
Sweden’s defence capability was already in the spotlight after Russian warplanes staged a mock bombing run on Sweden last year.
Danish jets belonging to Nato based in Lithuania mobilised to shadow them after Sweden’s air force was caught napping. Last month, Sweden said two Russian warplanes entered its air space, calling the intrusion a “serious violation” and sending a protest to Moscow’s ambassador in the Nordic country.
A commission that was set up by the previous government said late on Wednesday that Sweden should consider joining Nato. However the suggestion was dismissed immediately by new Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist.
“My impression is that the commission has made a serious and solid work, but in terms of Nato, we have clearly marked that it is not on the table,” he told TT news agency.
As in neighbour and fellow EU member Finland, Swedes wonder whether to seek shelter in the US-led Nato alliance, abandoning Stockholm’s two centuries of formal neutrality.
Both Swedish and Finnish armed forces cooperate with the other three Nordic states which are in Nato – Denmark, Norway and Iceland – and both have cooperated with Nato forces that were stationed in Afghanistan.