Trump’s US and Finland’s Security Cooperation: Still Relevant?
- Suomesta tuli sotilasliitto Naton jäsen liki kolme vuotta sitten, huhtikuussa 2023.
- "Ei koskaan enää yksin", poliitikot toistelivat, kun Suomi oli tehnyt Nato-päätöksensä.
- Viime viikkoina Yhdysvaltain presidentiltä on kuitenkin kuultu kovia uhkauksia Tanskaa ja Grönlantia, omia liittolaisiaan kohtaan.
Tässäkö se nyt oli?
Suomesta tuli sotilasliitto Naton jäsen liki kolme vuotta sitten, huhtikuussa 2023. Nato-jäsenyyden ja Yhdysvaltojen ydinasepelotteen piti turvata Suomen itsenäisyys Venäjän naapurissa.
“Ei koskaan enää yksin”, poliitikot toistelivat, kun Suomi oli tehnyt Nato-päätöksensä.
Viime viikkoina Yhdysvaltain presidentiltä on kuitenkin kuultu kovia uhkauksia Tanskaa ja Grönlantia, omia liittolaisiaan kohtaan.
Riittikö Natosta ja etenkin Yhdysvalloista lopulta turvaa vain pariksi vuodeksi? Vieläkö Natosta on Suomen ja Euroopan turvallisuuden takaajaksi?
Ossa visited NATO headquarters on Tuesday, the day before Donald Trump gave a speech at the Davos Economic Forum in which he demanded a “big price” from Denmark. In the speech, Trump said he would not use military force to take Greenland.
According to Ossa, the atmosphere at headquarters was calm and everyday work continued, even though there is a political crisis within NATO.
– Their message was that this is the new normal and you just have to live with it, Ossa describes.
Heljä Ossa was at NATO headquarters presenting her employer, the London School of Economics (LSE),’s research project on deterrence based on conventional weapons.
Eurostar train, Trump expected in Davos
At the same time as US President Donald Trump is expected in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, research professor Karsten Friis is traveling by Eurostar train from London to Brussels.
Friis works researching security and defense at the Norwegian Institute for foreign policy and has previously worked in the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Karsten Friis believes that Finland’s NATO membership is still a wise decision. It also supports the defense of Norway and the Baltic states.
Like a couple of years ago
The intentions of the United States regarding NATO have been speculated as the president across the ocean changed.
President Alexander Stubb denied on Wednesday in Davos that NATO is falling apart. According to Stubb,a stronger NATO is emerging,where europe takes more responsibility.
The state leadership has assured,through the Prime Minister,the President,and moast recently Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (kok.), that Finland is not in danger.
Valtonen also reminded on Tuesday that all NATO countries are committed to Article Five, i.e. NATO’s mutual assistance and collective defense.Finland is ready to strengthen security in the Arctic region, and this task will also be assigned to it and six other countries in NATO’s “Arctic 7” group.
Heljä Ossa points out that Finland too must recognize that the United States is no longer the same ally as it was known as a NATO partner and as 2023 as an ally.
– All these European defense solutions, such as JEF and Nordic cooperation, are becoming increasingly important.
JEF, or the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, is a defense cooperation group of ten European countries.
The role of Great Britain has become notably prominent over the years. A strengthening relationship was indicated, for example, by the then Prime Minister of Great Britain
But it will take years, Friis says. Although there are political problems in Nato, the structure works. Friis believes that as much as possible should be preserved, but implemented with European forces. According to Friis, things in nato usually happen at the initiative of the United States. If Europe took responsibility, it would have to be able to decide what nato should focus on. And that is not easy. If the united States withdrew, Europeans would have to develop and acquire more air-to-air refueling capabilities for aircraft, long-range missiles and weapons, as well as intelligence and command systems. Ossa is a little more blunt. – In that case, Finland has no choice but to seriously consider this, and perhaps even cancel the deals, Ossa says. Heljä Ossa believes the F-35 fighter jet deal is an even more challenging issue then the icebreakers, because Finland needs new fighters. – It may be that this is an issue where Finland may have to swallow the situation and proceed with the deals.“Pakko on paras motivaatio”
