Finland in NATO’s Security Policy in the Baltic Sea Region
Finland in NATO’s Security Policy in the Baltic Sea Region

Summary/Abstract: Finland, as a Nordic country, is located at the intersection of the Baltic Sea region and the High North, on the NATO-Russia front line. Its role as a buffer between the West and Russia has become particularly important after the aggression of Russia against Ukraine in February 2022. A full-scale war, and the resulting increase in the risk of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO, has had far-reaching consequences for Finland’s security architecture. Finland, which until now described itself as a non-aligned country, realized that its current strategy may prove insufficient in the face of new security challenges. Moreover, Russian aggression shocked public opinion, which resulted in increased support for Finland’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. Despite problems related to Turkish objections to membership, the ratification process was exceptionally quick, and as a result, on April 4, 2023, Finland became the thirty-first member of NATO. Joining the Alliance is the biggest change in Finland’s foreign policy since the beginning of its membership in the European Union in 1995 and represents a historic shift in Finnish defence policy. In light of these complex and multi-layered research issues, this article attempts to define the role that Finland will play in the NATO security system in the Baltic Sea region in the future.

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