Northern Europe

Sweden Mulls ‘Doctrine Shift’ in Defense After Russian Incursion in Ukraine

By Niclas Rolander, Wall Street Journal

The continuing crisis in Ukraine has the reputedly peaceful Swedes rethinking the nation’s defense doctrine, and some are using the situation as a way to push for NATO membership

Sweden and America Link Arms on Development Assistance

By Mark Brzezinski and Bjorn Lyrvall

If we asked a random sample of people what the world of 2030 might look like, what sorts of answers would we get? Amid predictions of advances in medicine, transportation and communications technology, we would no doubt expect some dire hypothetical scenarios: If population growth continues at current rates, if the gap in income equality […]

NATO Ambassadors Confront Russian Diplomat in ‘Tense’ Meeting

By Anne Gearan and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post

A NATO diplomat, describing the [NATO-Russia Council] session as “tense,” said alliance members one by one confronted Alexander V. Grushko, Russia’s representative to NATO, with charges that Moscow was violating international law in Crimea and concocting threats against ethnic Russians there to justify its actions.

Sweden Responds to Russian Exercises by Sending Jets to Baltic Base

By The Local (Sweden)

The Swedish Armed Forces sent extra air defence to the island of Gotland on Tuesday in response to a large-scale Russian training exercise being carried out in the Baltic Sea.

Video of NATO and Partner Air Forces Training Over Iceland

By NATO

For three weeks NATO Allies have been training air defence flying in Iceland together with first-time participants Sweden and Finland.

Brzezinski: Ukraine Should Join EU, but No Military Alliance

By Zbigniew Brzezinski, Financial Times

The west, however, can play a constructive role in containing the exploding violence. That will take concerted action by the US and the EU.

Former Finnish Defense Minister Rehn: I am No Longer Sure About the Strength of NATO

By Lithuania Tribune

The chief editor of The Lithuania Tribune Ruslanas Iržikevičius talked to Elisabeth Rehn, former Minister of Defence of Finland.

Modernizing the Military: The Case of Norway

Despite its relatively small size, Norway punches above its weight in defense investment and leadership in NATO operations at a time when many European countries are cutting defense budgets and turning inward. ​Norway is at the forefront of NATO’s efforts to modernize military forces and enhance interoperability to ensure the Alliance’s continued effectiveness in a new security landscape.

Enhanced Swedish-Finnish Defense Cooperation?

By Pauli Järvenpää, RKK/ICDS

When President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt met at the Sälen security conference on 12-14 January, they told the media they agreed on two things in particular: one, NATO membership for neither Finland nor Sweden was topical at the moment and, two, both of them supported enhanced defense cooperation between these two Nordic […]

Finland Orders $123 Million Worth of Stinger Missiles

By Helsinki Times

Finland is set to acquire hundreds of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from the United States, Carl Haglund (SFP), the Minister of Defence, announced to US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel as the two met in Washington