On October 26, the Transatlantic Security Initiative hosted a public discussion on “Bolstering Nordic Defense” at the Army Navy Club. The event served as the release of the Atlantic Council’s new issue brief: The Future of US-Swedish Defense Cooperation.

Sweden has occupied an increasingly important role in Northern Europe’s defense architecture as Russia ratchets up tensions in the Nordic-Baltic region. Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the Baltic Sea region has been the arena for Russia snap exercises, military build-up, and close encounters between Russian and Western military air and sea forces. Finland and Sweden, both important NATO partners, have critical roles to play in securing Europe’s northern flank. But NATO and the United States still grapple with how to fit both countries into defense and contingency planning as the specter of a West-Russia stand-off heightens.

To discuss how to address these challenges and further develop US-Swedish and regional defense cooperation, the event gathered a leading group of experts, including Johan Raeder, Defense Adviser at the Swedish Embassy, Ian Brzezinski, a Senior Fellow in the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Aaron Mehta of Defense News, and Magnus Nordenman, Director of the Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative.

Image: Aaron Mehta of Defense News, Ian Brzezinski, a Senior Fellow in the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Johan Raeder, Defense Adviser at the Swedish Embassy, and Magnus Nordenman, Director of the Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative.