On March 18, Stockholm Free World Forum and the Norden Association held the seminar “The Nordics in NATO: Where are we headed?”. Over 70 participants attended the seminar.
Oscar Jonsson, war studies and Russia researcher at the Swedish Defence University, emphasized that Nordic-Baltic-Polish cooperation will be crucial in deterring Russia.
Frivärld’s senior fellow and columnist at Svenska Dagbladet (SvD), Fredrik Johansson, highlighted the importance of Nordic cooperation across multiple sectors and identified opportunities for forming even tighter relations in already one of the world’s most integrated regions.
Olof Ehrenkrona, former Swedish diplomat and columnist at SvD, addressed how the United States’ democratic backsliding under Trump, and the lack of institutional mechanisms for a course correction, impacts European security.
Gunnar Hökmark, Chairman of Frivärld, stressed the importance of forming deeper partnerships with other democratic states outside Europe, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, in order to defend the free world. He argued that the Nordic region, a role model in several sectors, could take the initiative in fostering broader cooperation – a theme explored in his new Säkerhetsrådet article, “Time for Nordic Leadership.”
The discussion was moderated by Anna Rennéus Guthrie, Director of Frivärld.