Read more about the article Turkey’s approval of Finland NATO membership
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Turkey’s approval of Finland NATO membership

After several months of delay, on the 30th of March 2023, Turkey’s Parliament voted unanimously to officially allow Finland’s membership into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This event represents a major shift in the international balance of power, with Finland abandoning decades of non-alignment, to become the 31st member of the Western defense alliance (Erlanger, 2023). Thought it should be noted that the membership will only be formalized during the next NATO summit, taking place in July in Lithuania (Gardner, 2023).

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11 April 2023
Read more about the article Small but Ready: How Finland Has Prepared to Defend Itself
Info Flash

Small but Ready: How Finland Has Prepared to Defend Itself

The Nordic nation of Finland is expected to join NATO in the coming months. Despite its size, it will be an asset, not a liability. Finland faces many national security concerns, primarily originating from Russia. However, Finland has gradually developed an impressive military well-equipped to defend the country. Significant procurements in the air force, army, and navy will reinforce Helsinki's vital role in the Baltic and even Arctic theatres. Furthermore, the Finnish comprehensive security model connects state and non-state entities in the interest of national security, leading to greater resilience and preparedness in Finnish society. This model results in a unique hybrid resilience, which is critical considering Russia's propensity for hybrid warfare.

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10 March 2023
Read more about the article Bringing Back Military Mobility
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Bringing Back Military Mobility

This Info Flash outlines how the conflict in Ukraine has reignited concerns within Europe regarding military mobility because of several factors like bureaucratic delays in border crossings and much of Europe’s infrastructure not prepared for military use. As a result, significant work needs to be done to ensure seamless military movement across Europe’s many borders. Fortunately, the European Union already has large infrastructure projects which can be updated to incorporate military requirements. In addition, NATO's involvement has been and continues to be an important factor in hosting training exercises and setting goals. Finally, it can be presumed that the EU will allocate more funding for this continental project, while also focusing on cyber defence threats

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6 March 2023
Read more about the article Refusing a Second “Finlandization”? The Drivers and the Impact of Finland and Sweden’s NATO Membership on the Arctic Region
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Refusing a Second “Finlandization”? The Drivers and the Impact of Finland and Sweden’s NATO Membership on the Arctic Region

This Info Flash outlines the European security crisis, which has its roots 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. The goal of this research is to investigate the reasons that led two of the most prominent European neutral nations – Sweden and Finland – to take sides in the current conflict between the two contrasting visions of the international order, joining the Atlantic Alliance. It is elaborated on a historical analysis of Finland and Sweden, which shows the lessons learnt from experiences in order to determine the present-day challenges that both face due to their geopolitical position in the Arctic region. In doing so, this paper aims to understand the past, present and future international arrangements involving the Arctic as the next battlefield where the two contrasting international order visions will collide. 

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2 March 2023
Read more about the article Responding to the T-14 Armata
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Responding to the T-14 Armata

This Info Flash outlines the challenge that Russian main battle tank (MBT) developments, the T-14 Armata now challenges all of NATO’s platforms. With the war in Ukraine signalling that conventional warfare is far from over, NATO must re-evaluate its armoured capabilities. The capabilities of the Russian T-14, the American M1 Abrams, the German Leopard 2, the British Challenger 2, the French Leclerc, the Italian C1 Ariete, the Polish PT-91 Twardy, and the upcoming Turkish Altay are investigated in order to understand why the United States must choose between what it is accustomed to in the Abrams or move on to something entirely new. Simultaneously, the bilateral relationship between France and Germany is taken into consideration for understanding the need for inviting other European states into its Main Ground Combat System project.

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22 February 2023