Northern Europe Office

Wieslander cited in New York Times on European unity over Ukraine

“Anna Wieslander, the Swedish director for Northern Europe for the Atlantic Council, said that although support for Ukraine had mostly held across the alliance, it was uneven: strongest in nations with long experience and deep fears of Russian domination, like Poland and the Baltic states, and more difficult to maintain in countries like Belgium, the […]

Wieslander quoted in New York Times on NATO’s changed geostrategic reality

“Referring to the changing geostrategic reality wrought by February’s invasion, Anna Wieslander, the Swedish director for Northern Europe for the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think-tank, said the shift toward collective defense was much bigger than previously seen. ‘It really is a before Feb. 24 and after,’ she said, referring to the date of Russia’s invasion […]

Wieslander speaks at NATO Public Forum in Madrid

On June 29th, Director for Northern Europe Anna Wieslander spoke at the NATO Public Forum in Madrid on the panel “Ambiguous Threats, Determined Responses: Countering Hybrid Threats against NATO Allies.” Ms. Wieslander discussed Sweden’s total-defence strategy along with panelists Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Wiermann, Director General for NATO International Military Staff and Irene Fellin, Special Representative […]

#BritainDebrief – Is this a new 1914? | A Debrief from Dr. Bruno Tertrais

By Ben Judah

Senior Fellow Ben Judah speaks with Bruno Tertrais about his report on the global system of alliances and their implications for peace.

#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

By Ben Judah

Senior Fellow Ben Judah interviews Satu Hassi, Chair of the Grand Committee in the Finnish Parliament, to discuss Finland’s new security position.

Event Recap: “Cooperation in the Arctic: Ways forward in a Changed Security Environment”

On April 28th, 2022, the Atlantic Council’s Northern Europe office, in cooperation with the US Embassy Stockholm, held the conference “Cooperation in the Arctic: Ways forward in a Changed Security Environment.” Convening as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine entered its third month, the future of Arctic governance was in question. Joint research projects on climate change […]

Wieslander quoted in Washington Post on Swedish and Finnish NATO applications

“This is an extraordinary development given where we were in February,” said Anna Wieslander, director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council think tank. “Russia wanted to turn back time, to go back to the Cold War, to fragment and weaken the West,” she continued. “Now, in May, we are here.”

Wieslander quoted by Reuters on Turkish objections to Swedish and Finnish NATO membership

“They know that Sweden and Finland inside the alliance is good for the alliance as a whole and I do not foresee they will block this in the end,” Anna Wieslander, of the Atlantic Council security policy think tank, said. “But they will negotiate along the way.”

Wieslander interviewed by Radio Sweden on NATO accession process

“It will be a tailor-made process for Sweden and Finland to make possible a very quick accession process compared to other countries,” Anna Wieslander told Radio Sweden.