Nuclear threats by Moscow against NATO Allies and other countries in the Nordic-Baltic region are a central element in Russia’s policy of confrontation with the Western world. The West tends to perceive the confrontation on political, legal and economic grounds, while it is certainly also cultural, but it has—considering traditional Russian mentality—a prominent military dimension.
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After the occupation of Crimea in February 2014, NATO rapidly ramped up its military presence in new member states, including Estonia. The first announced deployments were temporary measures, mainly intended to reassure the local population and show Moscow that the alliance looks out for its members. The objective was not so much to increase deterrence in the countries bordering on Russia – the forces deployed were too small in number to do that.
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The Finnish parliamentary elections held on 19 April 2015 produced a profound change in government in Helsinki. The old “Rainbow Government”, with its original composition of six politically very divergent parties from 2011 to 2015, was roundly defeated, and the Centre Party – now the largest party, with 21,1 % of the popular vote – was tasked with forming a new coalition.
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On 9 June 2015, ICDS in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden in Tallinn hosted a lecture by Colonel Torbjörn Larsson, Commander of the Nordic Battlegroup NBG15, entitled Building a Battlegroup – On Time With Right Skills and Mindset. Colonel Larsson gave an overview of activities related to planning, preparation and stand-by for the Nordic Battlegroup 15, which is ready to be deployed on behalf of the European Union (EU).
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On 1 May 2015, Newsweek magazine published an article titled “Finnish military preparing 900,000 reservists for ‘crisis situation’”. The writer was Felicity Capon, a London-based reporter for Newsweek Europe.
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The nations’ right to self-determination and Wilsonian idealism came under heavy scrutiny in wartime.
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President Vladimir Putin is often quoted as having said that “the breakup of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century”. Therefore, the Kremlin wants to challenge the widespread view that the Baltic States are a success story, as they are the only republics previously occupied by the Soviet Union that are today members of the EU, NATO and the Eurozone. Moscow continuously spreads this message through its state controlled media.
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Research fellow Emmet Tuohy from the Tallinn-based International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS) told ERR News that the Nordic defense ministers’ call for closer defense cooperation and increased solidarity with the Baltic states is a “declaration”, not a binding agreement.
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It is often speculated that the Russian-speaking population in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania might become a fifth column that undermines the sovereignty of the Baltic states and pushes them closer to Russia. Is there a reason for that? Should we fully trust the Baltic states?
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IT millionaire Juha Sipilä is on the point of becoming Finland’s next prime minister.
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