Sweden’s First Task in NATO: Defend Key Island on Baltic’s Sea Lanes
The government of Sweden is looking at ways to reinforce the garrison on Gotland, the strategically-located island in the center of the Baltic Sea. Gotland is critical for the control of the sea lanes in the region, and it gives Sweden – and its new NATO allies – a profoundContinue Reading
Arms Trade Shift: EU Imports Surge, US and French Exports Rise, Russian Exports Plummet
The global volume of international arms transfers fell slightly by 3.3 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, according to new data on international arms transfers published recently. States in Europe almost doubled their imports of major arms (+94 per cent) between 2014–18 and 2019–23. Far larger volumes of arms flowedContinue Reading
There is no need to station nuclear weapons in Sweden, the prime minister said.
There is now no need for NATO bases or nuclear weapons on Swedish soil, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Monday. ⠀ “Now we do not see the need for Sweden to place permanent (NATO) bases or nuclear weapons on Swedish soil in peacetime,” he said at a pressContinue Reading
Nato exercises set to cause traffic jams in Finland
The Nordic Response 24 exercise, taking place in Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian Lapland, is set to end this week and the Finnish Defence Forces say that could cause traffic disruption in the north of Finland. Altogether some 4,100 soldiers from Finland participated in the exercises, along with about 800 vehicles.Continue Reading
Denmark establishes itself as one of Europe’s biggest donors to Ukraine
When it comes to his country’s support for Ukraine, Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen sees only one red line: “We do not plan on sending soldiers to the field and do not consider this an option,” he said in an interview with Le Monde. For the rest, Denmarkis notContinue Reading
Estonian Colonel: Ukraine preparing to use its new aircraft by shooting down Russia’s
Ukraine has recently reported a number of Russian aircraft shot down or rendered unusable. With this, Ukraine may be creating conditions for the deployment of new aircraft soon to be received from the West, said Air Force Chief of Staff Col. Janek Lehiste. Lehiste told ERR’s “Ukraina stuudio” that theContinue Reading
Labour federation buys personal newspaper ad directed at Orpo: ‘Petteri, isn’t it time we agreed?’
The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) has taken a new approach in its ongoing standoff with the government by placing a personal ad in the Sunday edition of newspaper Turun Sanomat, among other papers, directly addressing Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP). The ad is a plea from SAK’sContinue Reading
Finnish climate minister in Ukraine to discuss war’s environmental impact
Finland’s Minister of Climate and the Environment, Kai Mykkänen (NCP), was on a visit to Kyiv, Ukraine on Friday. Mykkänen went to the war-torn country to discuss the environmental damage that the war has caused, according to a ministry press release issued on Friday afternoon. Other anticipated discussion topics includeContinue Reading
Finnish defence minister: Sweden joining Nato boosts Finland’s defence
Sweden’s recent Nato membership is also a significant leap forward for Finland’s defence, said Finland’s Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP), describing the current security situation in the Nordic region. On Saturday, Häkkänen visited Enontekiö in Finnish Lapland for Nato’s Nordic Response combat exercises and met with Swedish Defence Minister PålContinue Reading
SAK labour federation launches more strikes next week in Finland
The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), which has been organising political strikes since last autumn, announced new walkouts on Wednesday. It said that a new wave of industrial actions will begin next Monday, and continue for up to two weeks. Details of some strikes are to be announcedContinue Reading