Carl Bildt says Finland and Sweden are departing from their Cold-War era of neutrality doctrine, and embracing a “more prudent and proactive defense policy.” Of the five countries that make up the Nordic Union, Denmark, Norway and Iceland are founding members of NATO, while Sweden and Finland never joined. In recent years both countries are seeing a spike in defense spending and a debate about whether to become NATO members.

Following Russia’s aggression and annexation of Crimea in 2014, Finland and Sweden are moving closer to NATO that allows assistance from alliance troops in the Nordic countries in emergency situations. This fall both countries are participating in NATO’s largest military exercise since the Cold War. The Trident Juncture exercise in Norway brings together 40,000 troops from over 30 member states and their partners, conducting air, sea and land operations from the Baltic states in the east to Iceland in the west.

The author points out how Finland and Sweden walked a tightrope during the Cold War. Finland shares a 1,300km (800-mile) border with Russia, which always uses its influence to meddle in its weaker neighbours’ affairs. The Finns retained their independence and avoided siding with either the US or the Soviet Union. Occasionally came under “Soviet pressure as the Kremlin sought to expand its room for maneuver, Finland always remained firm in its commitment to defend its Nordic and Western identity.” Known as Finlandisation, the policy enabled Helsinki to serve as an honest go-between for the two superpowers.

Like Finland, Sweden had retained its “longstanding geopolitical neutrality” during the Cold War. And Swedish defence policy has long been characterised by double-think. The author says, “out of solidarity with the Finns,” the Swedes “abstained” from joining NATO. Although Denmark and Norway did become members, they “long opted out of hosting foreign forces during peacetime.” Polls in Finland and Sweden showed that the majority still oppose to NATO membership.

Yet in recent years, the “security landscape” has changed in Northern Europe. Finland and Sweden participate in joint military exercises and international cooperations. Both countries, which already train and work closely with NATO, have insisted the arrangement would not mean that they were moving closer to joining the Alliance. They merely seek to deepen their partnership with NATO and establish “common deterrence capabilities” and a long tradition of collaboration in intelligence matters for Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area.

The author says, “today’s mobilization is not driven by an acute threat from Russia. But Russia’s aggressive effort to modernize its military all but requires the West to increase its own defense capacity in the region.” He believes that only with a “proper defense” can we “ensure peace and stability” in the region. By sending a “clear message that opportunistic acts of aggression” will not go “unanswered” we might be able to have “a more constructive relationship with Russia in the long run.” The problem is that as long as Putin remains in power, he will unlikely abandon his quest to restore the glory of the former Soviet Union.