Getting Russia Right
Remarks at Conference on Biden and Europe, Co-Sponsored by the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) and the Wilson Center, 14 January 2021.
Read more
Nordic-Baltic Region
EU-China Investment Deal: A Transatlantic Problem First and Foremost
The heavily criticised EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investments (CAI) finds itself on the axis of the European Union, China and the US. This constitutes an uncomfortable triangle for the three Baltic countries—Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, also known as the 3B. The EU-China deal provides a worrying case study about the indirect effects the EU’s foreign policy may have on its member states.
Read more
Sweden’s Contemporary Security Challenges Based On Its 2019 China Strategy
Due to its proximity to the Baltic states, its relevance to China and its recent publication of a strategy document on that country, Sweden’s policy towards Beijing should be of great interest to the Baltic countries.
Read more
Partner Involvement in NATO Core Business
Occasionally, suggestions are aired about the potential participation of partner nations in NATO activities that are directly related to the Alliance’s core task of collective defence.
Read more
COVID-19 Policy in Sweden: Disaster or Object of Admiration?
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sweden may be facing an identity crisis.
Read more
The Coronavirus Crisis Has Brought New Realism to Estonian-Finnish Relations
In the Covid-19 crisis, the Finnish government took its decisions based on the national interest and considering the wellbeing of its citizens. This is how it would behave in possible future crises, which may be of a different nature. Estonia should avoid too high expectations of its northern neighbour.
Read more
Through the Looking Glass: The Nordic-Baltic Region and the Changing Role of the United States
Strengths and power come from within. While the US still dominates in terms of power of attraction, its fraught domestic situation undermines its global standing.
Read more
US Policy Towards the Arctic: Adapting to a Changing Environment
Regardless of the reasons for US president Donald Trump’s mercurial cancellation of his planned state visit to Denmark earlier this year—whether due to the Danish refusal to sell Greenland to the United States or his wariness of another lengthy foreign trip—his interest in expanding the US presence in the Arctic is understandable.
Read more
Nordic ideals of Estonia and Finland: a longing for a strong leader sets Finland and Estonia apart from Scandinavia
Finland joined Nordic cooperation in the 1930s and has valued being part of the Nordic countries ever since. Estonia has striven to be a member of the prestigious Nordic club since the 1990s. Today, the political cultures of Finland and Estonia share a surprisingly large number of common features, although there are also differences. The entrenchment of democratic values among citizens is at a good average European level in both, but lower than in other Nordic countries.
Read more
Russia Continues to Test Western Resolve – Spetsnaz Units Operating in Norwegian Territory
On 27 September 2019, the well-informed Norwegian security and defence portal Aldrimer.no reported that Russian Spetsnaz units were recently found operating inside Norwegian territory. More specifically, Russian forces were discovered both on Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, and on mainland Norway.
Read more