As the situation in our surrounding areas becomes more insecure the issue of Nordic defense cooperation has been brought up as a way to strengthen the region’s military capabilities as well as its security. However, both Nordic defense cooperation and the deepened partnership between Sweden and Finland have apparent deficiencies. Upon a closer review it is clear that there are a number of ambiguities and limits to these partnerships.
The report But No Further: Limits of Nordic Defense Cooperation brings to light the existing deficiencies in Nordic defense partnerships. One of its conclusions, among others, is that Sweden’s and Finland’s lack of alliances complicates the region’s ability to cooperate militarily.
– In the debate the coordination among the Nordic countries as well as the partnership between Sweden and Finland is often referred to as a solution to the insecurity facing the region, despite the fact that these collaborations rest on unstable ground. This has become a lifesaving device for politicians who do not want to discuss the issue of NATO membership, said author Sara Norrevik.
Sara Norrevik is a Fulbright scholar and Ph.D. student in security policy at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a board member for the Swedish-Atlantic Council and has previously worked as a political advisor at the Swedish Ministry of Defense.