1. How allied Sweden and Finland can secure Northern Europe
- Author:
- Anna Wieslander, Eric Adamson, and Jesper Lehto
- Publication Date:
- 01-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- NATO is approaching its ninth round of enlargement. The accession of Sweden and Finland—two solid democracies and defenders of the international-rules based order—into the Alliance will strengthen the core of the transatlantic community. Their NATO membership opens up new opportunities to bolster regional deterrence and defense in Northern Europe, increase transatlantic burden sharing, and secure the Alliance as a whole in ways not previously possible. This issue brief sets the stage by suggesting that the Alliance use the accession of Sweden and Finland to create an ambitious deterrence-by-denial “bubble” over Northern Europe. Such a strategy does not merely include military capabilities but must be underpinned by civil robustness and resilience that stretch across NATO territory. Operationally, allies in Northern Europe should prepare to assume greater responsibility as first responders in case of a severe security situation, below or at the level of Article 5. For this to succeed, political cooperation and agenda setting must intensify among Northern European allies.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, NATO, Alliance, and Resilience
- Political Geography:
- Finland, Sweden, and Northern Europe