Sweden has long been an outpost of peace in Europe. The Nordic country has not experienced war in over 200 years. In the 20th century, Swedish statesmen have been great peace brokers and humanitarians.
I am in Stockholm to interview perhaps the last of their breed, Hans Blix. Former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the former Iraq War weapons inspector, he was world-famous 20 years ago for stopping moves that would have given legal cover to the Anglo-American war on Iraq. Perhaps our long-planned interview is exquisitely badly timed, as the Iraq war has faded into history and now there is another conflict in Ukraine, with a clear villain that occupies all our attention. On the other hand, maybe it is useful to have a broader perspective and realise that other great powers, not just Russia, also do bad things.
Blix greets our film team warmly. Our two-day interview was supposed to take place last September but was delayed by illness...