Svensk vapenexport till Ukraina 2022 : En innehållsanalys om varför svenska staten valt att skicka krigsmateriel till Ukraina under Rysslands pågående krig i Ukraina

This research work aims to analyze why Sweden chose to send military equipment to the Ukrainian army during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The paper has constructed the following research question to fulfill its purpose: "How can key factors linked to "fear of abandonment theory" and "the the social construction of realism" explain that the Swedish state decided to send military equipment and equipment to the Ukrainian army during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022?" The theories "fear of abandonment" and "the social construction of realism" have been operationalized to answer the research question. Theoretical key factors have been picked out which were then used to construct indicators. The indicators have then been used as analysis tools to measure whether the theories can explain how representatives of the Swedish government and the Swedish parliament motivated that Sweden should export military equipment to Ukraine in the midst of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. A qualitative content analysis has been applied to two selected analysis units that can most appropriately answer the research question. Firstly, a speech by Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has been analysed. Secondly, a parliamentary protocol containing speeches from members of parliament from all parliamentary parties regarding Sweden's arms delivery to Ukraine has been analysed. The result shows that both the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister, as well as Members of Parliament from Sweden's two largest parties (the Social Democrats and the Moderates) claimed that Sweden should send military equipment to Ukraine because the risk that Sweden could be abandoned if an armed attack against Sweden were to occur. Furthermore, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as Swedish members of the Riksdag from i.a. Sweden's three largest parties (the Social Democrats, the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats) have claimed that Sweden should send military equipment to Ukraine because Russia poses a security threat to Sweden and Europe.