Publication

This paper examines Sweden’s and Finland’s evolving defense cooperation with the United States, which primarily turns on whether to pursue bilateral defense treaties instead of the two Nordic countries joining NATO. The paper’s author argues that Washington isn’t keen on the treaty option because it would 1) compromise its deterrence capabilities, and 2) create “imbalances” in its risks and responsibilities. A third option could involve the US providing an interim but formal guarantees of protection while Sweden and Finland consider NATO membership, but the author argues that this ‘solution’ would be both time consuming and, ultimately, arbitrary.