We are in a new geopolitical era. The Nordic region and Europe's security policy ‘recess’ is over, and resilience and preparedness are at the top of the agenda – most recently, this was the theme of the Nordic Council session in Stockholm.
Nina Græger is director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and professor of international politics at the University of Copenhagen. She is also one of the editors of the recently published Handbook of Nordic Co-operation and author of the chapter Norden og NATO: sikkerhedsrelationer i forandring.
The book has received funding from the Nordic university network ReNEW (Reimagining the Nordic Region in an Evolving World), which has received funding from NordForsk for the period 2018 to 2024.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought us to a crossroads in terms of security policy. The Nordic countries are seeking to join NATO. I am thinking primarily of Sweden and Finland's application for NATO membership, which came at record speed and was granted very quickly. This was, of course, because there were fears that Russia might become hungry in areas other than Ukraine, and the Nordic countries are Russia's closest neighbours," says Nina Græger.
Europe looks to the Nordic countries
When it comes to resilience and preparedness, the Nordic countries have long traditions in both areas, she says. Total preparedness has been strong in Norway, Sweden and Finland in various forms.
“Civil preparedness and the ability to mobilise the whole of society is quite unique to the Nordic countries, and something that can also be promoted in NATO, as civil preparedness is a phenomenon that many are talking about in Europe right now.”
Challenges and opportunities
"Nordic security co-operation faces a number of new challenges. The biggest of these is Russian aggression – not least towards the Baltic states, which can also affect the Nordic countries, because we now see that the Nordic region and the Baltic states are a single strategic area and must be viewed as a whole."
Nina Græger also points out that there are opportunities for even closer cooperation because of the uncertain security policy situation.
“What we are seeing is closer cross-border co-operation than before, more military training and exercises than previously, and because all the Nordic countries are members of NATO, we have unique opportunities for even more co-operation.”
Read or read again: “Those interested in Nordic co-operation should strike while the iron is hot” | NordForsk
