Iltalehti: NATO to find out whether Finland and Sweden are prepared to defend the Baltics
Finland and Sweden are no longer just a mere NATO partners, with shared values, but they must decide their course of action in case of the Russian threat to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, writes the Finnish news portal Iltalehti.
International naval defence attachés will meet next week in Turku, the location of naval exercises NOCO14. This is another example of Finland and Sweden, for long officially neutral countries, cooperating with NATO. Further cooperation will be discussed at the NATO summit in Wales on 4 September.
According to Mika Aalto, a Finnish International Relations and European Studies professor, NATO wants to know how far Finland and Sweden are ready to go, to ensure Baltic security.
Erik Brattbeg from the Swedish Institute of International Relations believes that NATO is hoping to utilise the Baltic Sea and use the Finnish and Swedish territory and airspace for the possible defence of the Baltic States, writes Iltalehti.