Preface

Security in Northern Europe is a follow-on to NATO and the North Atlantic: Revitalising Collective Defence, published in March 2017 as a RUSI Whitehall Paper. While the previous paper explored the renewed importance of the North Atlantic Ocean from the perspectives of the US, the UK and Norway in particular, this new study takes a broader approach by including the views of all members of Europe’s Northern Group, adjunct waters and countries in North America. Although the new security landscape is multi-faceted and complex, the resurgence of state-based aggression represents the dominant factor. With NATO’s Article 5 commitments now back at the forefront of the Alliance’s mission, certain regions, which until recently attracted little attention from Western states, have regained strategic relevance. One of the most important is Northern Europe. This Whitehall Paper identifies both individual and common challenges and suggests effective national and collective reactions. While the individual chapters can stand alone, they also complement and build on each other to construct a cohesive analysis. This, in turn, can help NATO members and key partners to offer a stronger response on the basis of better information regarding each country’s priorities, attitudes and institutional affiliations. The authors bring unique insight and knowledge to their geographically oriented case studies. They have worked on defence and security in various capacities and areas of responsibility and can account for the interplay among historical, cultural, economic, social and political factors that define a state. While their views carry authoritative weight, the opinions and conclusions in this volume are those of the authors and the editor; they do not represent the official position of any government or institution; indeed, scholarly independence has been encouraged. I am grateful to the authors for their contributions both to this volume and to an extensive outreach programme, which, like the previous study, includes conferences in several countries to encourage an informed debate. I am much obliged to Dr Robin Allers and Colonel Per Erik Solli who provided insightful critiques on the evolving manuscript, and am again in debt to Margaret S MacDonald for excellent editorial counsel. I am also thankful to RUSI and especially the Publications Editor, Dr Emma De Angelis, for first-rate cooperation from concept to publication.