Northern Europe

Russia Responds to Annual NATO Maneuvers with Surprise Exercise of First Strike Forces

By RT

The Baltic Sea and skies are getting crowded as Russia launches military training of its assault forces in the exclave of Kaliningrad in answer to the double war-games being conducted by joint NATO forces on the territory of the three Baltic States.

Finland Will Require Referendum to Decide NATO Membership

By Defense News and Yle

From Gerard O’Dwyer, Defense News:  Finland’s electorate will ultimately decide whether Finland will join NATO.

Russia Warns of ‘Negative’ Consequences if Sweden and Finland Join NATO

By ITAR-TASS

The accession to NATO by Sweden and Finland will lead to dangerous negative changes in the Baltic Sea Region, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.

Is the Crisis in Ukraine Pushing Sweden Towards NATO?

The crisis in Ukraine, as well as increased tensions in the Baltic Sea region, has stoked the public debate on security and defense in Sweden. On May 26, the Institute of International Affairs brought Nordic, European, and US perspectives together for a discussion on the future of Swedish defense cooperation and specifically its relationship with […]

Concerned About Russian Invasion, Estonia Plans ‘Data Embassies’ in Allied Countries

By Tom Cheshire, SKY News

Estonia intends to back up crucial national databases in the UK and other countries, because of fears of a Russian invasion.

Estonia Exercise Shows NATO’s Growing Worry About Cyber Attacks

By Peter Apps, Reuters

With more than 300 participants and teams from 17 nations, organizers said it [Estonia’s Locked Shields cyber exercise] was the largest international cyber maneuver yet mounted, simulating an attack on a fictional nation called “Berylia” by a 50-strong team of computer experts.

NATO’s Biggest ISR Exercise Currently Testing Drones and Satellites

By NATO

Unified Vision 2014 . . . is NATO’s biggest ever trial of Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR), comprising satellites, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, naval vessels, ground sensors and human intelligence from 18 NATO Allies.

NATO Steps Back Into the USSR

By Steven Erlanger, New York Times

Is the confrontation a Ukraine problem or a Russia problem? Is it a blip, which can be treated like a speed bump before returning to the straight, rich road of commerce, or is it something fundamental, not so much a challenge to the postwar order as a break with it, blowing a hole in that […]