Northern Europe Office

Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

By Anna Wieslander

The New York Times writes, “However complicated NATO membership looks for Sweden politically, it would be dangerous to be left outside the alliance if Finland joins, since the two countries are each other’s closest defense partners and plan for war together, Ms. Wieslander, a Swede who is the Atlantic Council’s director for Northern Europe, said […]

Wieslander interviewed by Swedish National Radio’s “USA Podcast” on Russia and NATO

By Anna Wieslander

Director for Northern Europe Anna Wieslander spoke about President Joe Biden calling Russia’s war in Ukraine a genocide as well as the history of NATO and the impact of the United States’ security blanket for small European states.

Wieslander joins “Brussels Sprouts” to talk about Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

By Anna Wieslander

Wieslander quoted in Foreign Policy on Nordic NATO debate

By Anna Wieslander

“Although Finland is edging closer to NATO membership than Sweden, most analysts and diplomats agree that the countries are a package deal. If one joins, the other is likely to follow suit. Given their shared geography on the Scandinavian Peninsula—along with NATO member Norway—the alliance would prefer if the two countries joined at the same […]

Wieslander quoted in Euronews on potential Swedish NATO membership

By Anna Wieslander

“I think we had a shift in public opinion as well as Finland did, but the Finns had a much larger shift” explains Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council. “One of the reasons we experts estimated that Sweden would move first is that since 2013 we had support that could be up to […]

Wieslander quoted in Reuters on NATO in the Arctic

By Anna Wieslander

“Sweden’s non-aligned status is increasingly blurred,” said Anna Wieslander, Northern Europe Director at the Atlantic Council think-tank. “If you look at it, we are preparing to meet the adversary together and I think there is no doubt in which camp we are,” she said. “You can see the warnings Russia has given so there is […]

Wieslander speaks about Gotland’s bolstered defences to Belgian VRT

By Anna Wieslander

Wieslander speaks with France 24 on shifting Swedish & Finnish public opinion towards NATO

By Anna Wieslander

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has succeeded in persuading many in Finland and Sweden that future NATO membership is in their national interest.

Wieslander quoted in Washington Post on Swedish NATO debate

By Anna Wieslander

“In Sweden, defense was a low priority before the Ukraine war. Now, it’s the number one issue. The question is, can you take out the insurance when the house is on fire? That is something NATO is also going to have to decide.”

Wieslander interviewed by Deutsche Welle on the politics of NATO in Sweden

By Anna Wieslander

“You have a pretty polarized situation among the parties. You would have the right-wing leaning parties who are pro-NATO, then Red-Green who are against joining; and then you have the right-wing extremist party, the Swedish Democrats, the third-biggest party who are also against,” said Wieslander.