Image credit: Melody Cook/CNAS

April 11, 2022

Inching Closer Toward NATO with Mika Aaltola and Anna Wieslander

By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Mika Aaltola and Anna Wieslander

Will Finland and Sweden join NATO? Since Russia launched its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine in late February, European political and security dynamics have changed in profound ways. For Finland and Sweden, the invasion has ignited a new round of debate around the question of NATO membership, causing both countries to reexamine their longstanding policy of remaining outside the transatlantic military alliance. Despite this movement, no political decision has yet been made in either country, and obstacles may remain in the way of membership. Nevertheless, it appears that a seismic shift in foreign and security policy could be on the horizon for both countries. Anna Wieslander and Mika Aaltola join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss what we might expect to see going forward.

Anna Wieslander serves as director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council. In addition to her role at the Atlantic Council, she chairs the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm and serves as secretary general of the Swedish Defense Association.

Mika Aaltola is the Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. He is also a tenured professor of International Relations and European Union Affairs at Tallinn University in Estonia and holds the rank of docent at Tampere University.

  • Podcast
    • February 17, 2023
    Assessing NATO’s Evolving Role

    Over the past year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO, with the presence of major war on the European continent highlighting the alliance’s importance for co...

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Benedetta Berti & David Cattler

  • Podcast
    • February 10, 2023
    The View from Berlin: Transatlantic Relations in 2023

    To continue our “New Year” series on Brussels Sprouts, we turn to the state of transatlantic relations going into 2023. The past year has demanded extensive coordination betwe...

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Carisa Nietsche, Sophia Besch & Wolfgang Ischinger

  • Reports
    • January 24, 2023
    How Finnish and Swedish NATO Accession Could Shape the Future Russian Threat

    About the Transatlantic Forum on Russia This policy brief is a product of the CNAS Transatlantic Forum on Russia, an initiative designed to spur coordination between the Unite...

    By Nicholas Lokker, Jim Townsend, Heli Hautala & Andrea Kendall-Taylor

  • Commentary
    • September 28, 2022
    Sharper: NATO

    As the war in Ukraine pushes past the six-month mark, NATO stands at a critical juncture. In the face of renewed great-power competition in Europe, the alliance has proved to ...

    By Anna Pederson & Michael Angeloni

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia