Read more about the article Refusing a second Finlandization
Food For Thought

Refusing a second Finlandization

Europe is again amidst a security crisis, the roots of which go far beyond the unsolved issues with post-Soviet Russia and NATO enlargement towards the East of Europe. The current invasion of Ukraine shows that two opposing international concepts are on the battleground. On the one side, there is a vision that officially supports the right of non-interference in a multipolar world whilst, in reality, abusing sovereign power, imposing it on other nations and dividing the world into areas of one-dominant country influence

Comments Off on Refusing a second Finlandization
29 June 2023
Read more about the article Germany Prepares Permanent Force in Lithuania
News

Germany Prepares Permanent Force in Lithuania

Germany is preparing to permanently station 4,000 troops in Lithuania to strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank. This was announced by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Monday (The Associated Press, 2023). “We explicitly acknowledge our responsibility and our obligation as a NATO member state, as the largest economy in Europe, to stand up for the protection of the eastern flank”, Pistorius stated (Pitel & Foy, 2023). Pistorius was accompanied by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who welcomed this announcement and praised Germany for its dedication to NATO’s collective defence strategy (The Associated Press, 2023).

Comments Off on Germany Prepares Permanent Force in Lithuania
28 June 2023
Read more about the article France says yes to Ukraine’s Acession to NATO
News

France says yes to Ukraine’s Acession to NATO

On the 12 June 2023, a French Defence Council examined the possibility of an accession of Ukraine to NATO once the war is over (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023). Paris used to be reluctant, alongside Berlin and Washington (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023; Smolar, 2023). France now regards Kiev’s membership as a viable option to guarantee security in Europe in the coming years (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023). This recent change of mind also expresses a determination to increase pressure on Moscow to halt its war in Ukraine. It further conveys France’s support to Kiev at a time when its counter-offensive is facing difficulties (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023)

Comments Off on France says yes to Ukraine’s Acession to NATO
27 June 2023
Read more about the article Germany drafts its first National Security Strategy since WW2
News

Germany drafts its first National Security Strategy since WW2

On 14 June 2023, Germany revealed its first National Security Strategy since the end of WW2. The plan was in preparation since November 2021 (DeutscheWelle, 2023). And while the document was supposed to be delivered during the Munich Security Council in February, though its release was delayed by internal disagreements among the government’s coalition parties (Von Der Burchard, 2023).

Comments Off on Germany drafts its first National Security Strategy since WW2
21 June 2023
Read more about the article What Benefits and Disadvantages does Sweden and Finland get from NATO?
Info Flash

What Benefits and Disadvantages does Sweden and Finland get from NATO?

This Info Flash will first examine the international relations between Sweden, Hungary, and Türkiye, which are tense since Sweden started its accession process to join NATO in the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. With this context, the second part of the paper will conduct an analysis of the benefits and disadvantages for Sweden, Finland, and NATO itself in accepting these new member states.

Comments Off on What Benefits and Disadvantages does Sweden and Finland get from NATO?
12 June 2023