Nordic Security Policies and Strategies

The Nordic states all pursue similar security policies and defense strategies, yet there are important differences between them. A key similarity is the dual approach to international integration. For all five countries, the main element is NATO-membership and participation in the alliance’s comprehensive system of collective deterrence and defense. A supplementary and parallel approach is a regime of bi- and multilateral security and defense cooperation, covered by separate agreements with the U.S., Canada, and key European allies. The latest developments in the latter regime were the signing of three bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreements with the U.S. in December 2023 by Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, respectively.