The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is welding the Nordic countries together.
Not only have they all become NATO members in a short time, tomorrow Sweden and Finland will hold a joint government meeting, and on Sunday a co-Nordic TV debate on security policy was broadcast.
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Much of the debate came to be about the limits of support for Ukraine – and the ministers were in complete agreement that a Russian victory in Ukraine means an even more dangerous world for small countries like ours.
“Safer without NATO”
Perhaps there wasn’t much debate between the politicians, the counter-images instead came from invited guests who in several cases brought forward messages that also go home in the Kremlin. Such as that Sweden would have been safer outside of NATO (Kerstin Bergeå, Swedish Freds), that the West has deceived the Ukrainians that the arms support will be kept up for a long time (peace researcher Frida Stranne), and that long-range weapons with the Ukrainians could lead to the third world war (Russia expert Julie Wilhelmsen ).
Something that goes so against the official line could hardly have been broadcast on the major Russian television channels, and it is a statement of strength for democracy to openly air different arguments.
Dividing lines exist
But despite the fact that the Nordic countries are more connected than before, some dividing lines remain. Perhaps most memorable was the Finnish researcher Charly Salonius-Pasternak’s response to Swedish Peace:
– As a Finnish reservist, I want us to have weapons if and when Russia attacks us, I don’t want to be relaxed.
If you are to find something of a crack in the facade of unity, it is about Norway. The country is the richest country in the Nordics and has an oil fund of NOK 18,600 billion.
Nevertheless, they donate less to Ukraine than all the other Nordic countries.
More may come
The Norwegian foreign minister pointed out that Norway donated the most of all a year ago and he also said that more money may be added in the future.
The good mood was in no way spoiled by this, as none of the other ministers ventured to review the Norwegian contribution to Ukraine.
But if the differences between the support for Ukraine were to increase between the Nordic countries, the family atmosphere could probably quickly deteriorate.
It would be bad in terms of security, because it is a good idea for small countries to stick together when the war is raging just an hour’s flight from the Nordic capitals.
See the entire Agenda Special afterwards at SVT Play.