Witness History Sweden’s diplomatic freeze with the USA
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Mar 2, 2026 Jan Eliasson, veteran Swedish diplomat and former UN deputy secretary-general, recalls being at the Swedish embassy in Washington in 1972. He describes receiving Palme’s fiery telex, the speech comparing US actions to historic massacres, and the US recall of its ambassador. He also recounts how junior diplomats kept channels open and the gradual thaw led by Kissinger.
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Palme's Kitchen Table Speech Sparks Outrage
- Olof Palme delivered an impromptu, emotionally charged speech condemning the Hanoi Christmas bombings.
- Jan Eliasson saw the telex arrive in Washington and realised the speech was written at Palme's kitchen table and read like a poem.
Comparing Hanoi To Treblinka Escalated The Crisis
- Palme compared the Christmas bombings to historic atrocities, explicitly naming Treblinka.
- That analogy amplified the political shock because it linked US actions to Nazi extermination camps in public rhetoric.
State Department Recalls Ambassador And Freezes Ties
- The US State Department summoned Swedish ambassador Hubert DeBesh and refused to accept Sweden's ambassador back.
- Alexis Johnson told DeBesh he did not need to come in January and the US would not send back its ambassador, starting a 15-month freeze.