Britain is a country in northern Europe with its own reasons for opposing Russia – that is why it is now interested in securing Sweden and Finland

After the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with his fast-paced bangs flew to Stockholm and Helsinki last Wednesday, someone might have thought he was fleeing the headwinds of domestic politics. After all, Johnson’s party, the Conservatives, had suffered severe setbacks in the local election just a few days earlier.

However, security policy experts were not surprised by the visit. Britain is one of Europe’s most important military powers and a nuclear-weapon state for which the security of Northern Europe has long been important.

– Britain has been interested in the security of Northern Europe throughout the last century, says Jacob Westberg From the Swedish National Defense College.

Jacob Westberg has studied the relationship between Britain and the Nordic countries. According to him, at the heart of British foreign policy has long been precisely the fight against the Russian threat in the northern regions, which is often referred to in Britain as the “High North”.

In fact, the first defense agreements concerning Russia’s desire to expand were signed as early as 1855. The parties to the so-called November Treaty were Britain, France and the Union of Sweden and Norway.

– According to the agreement, Sweden-Norway was not allowed to agree to any territorial transfers to Russia. If Russia threatened militarily, Britain and France promised to come to the rescue, Westberg says.

At that time, there was a war in Crimea between Russia and Britain and France, among others. It was also accompanied by the Oolant War, which is important in Finnish history. During that time, the British navy bombed Russian fortifications in Åland.

However, Sweden remained isolated from the Crimean War, as well as subsequent wars.

According to Jacob Westberg, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill would have liked to have Sweden involved in World War II because he anticipated that new tensions would arise between the Soviet Union and the West after the war.

– However, Sweden remained officially neutral and has remained militarily non-aligned for as long as 200 years. That’s why applying for NATO is historic, Westberg says.

According to Jacob Westberg, London’s activity in the Nordic countries is also explained by Britain’s traditional role as a bridge between the United States and Europe.

– Britain is very eager to prove useful to its ally the United States. One way to show this is to take responsibility for the security of European countries, he says.

The interest of the United States and NATO in the security of northern Europe and the fight against Russia even led to several secret guarantees between the United States and non-aligned Sweden during the Cold War.

With these agreements, the United States promised to come to the rescue if Sweden were attacked.

“It wasn’t that the United States felt particularly close to Sweden, but that the United States thought it would be impossible for NATO members to defend Norway and Denmark if the Soviet Union got to control Sweden,” Westberg says.

A researcher at the Swedish National Defense College says that by this logic, many hoped that such support would have secured Sweden even now, in the new uncertainty caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Also a researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute Juha Jokela says Johnson’s activity in Sweden and Finland is primarily explained by Britain’s own foreign, defense and security policy interests – as well as geography.

For example, the British Shetland Islands in the North Sea have a shorter distance to Norway than the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.

– When you turn the map and look more closely, you will notice that Northern Europe is a strategically important area for Britain, Jokela says.

Britain is located in the North Atlantic, and when you look at things that threaten the country’s security from there, in the north you will encounter the Arctic region and Russia’s largest naval base, as well as a nuclear deterrent with submarines.

In the east, the Baltic Sea region is connected to Britain via the North Sea, Jokela explains.

From this perspective, the stability of the Nordic countries is important for Britain.

– Britain’s identity as a country in Northern Europe has only strengthened in recent years, Jokela says.

Even after the Cold War, Britain has pursued a relatively tough policy towards Russia compared to other major European countries, France and Germany, Jokela estimates. On the other hand, the Conservative Party in particular has been criticized for its links with Russia.

Britain’s difference with the EU in early 2020 has not significantly changed the country’s desire to be an active security player in Europe.

Britain, for example, is one of the main European countries providing military assistance to Ukraine. It has also wanted to perform quite spectacularly when Boris Johnson paid a surprise visit to Kiev in early April.

With direct military intervention in Ukraine ruled out, economic sanctions have intensified in opposition to Russia. According to Jokela, however, the most important decision-makers here are the United States and the EU.

In the past, Britain was one of the most active in EU sanctions policy. Now Britain has made its own sanctions decisions outside the EU, and not as active a bridge between the United States and the EU as before, Jokela says.

Immediately after Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum, there was speculation as to whether Britain would withdraw from European defense.

– These worries quickly proved futile. Britain is very committed to NATO, Jokela says.

According to Jokela, Britain has taken an even more active role in combating security threats in northern Europe, for example in the Baltic Sea.

An example of this is the JEF (Joint Expeditionary Force), a British-led group focusing on crisis management in ten countries, established in 2012, in which Finland is also involved. In addition, a defense policy strategy for the Arctic has been drawn up in London.

In general, the West has spoken out in support of Ukraine and against Russia in a very united manner, including Britain, which has seceded from the EU.

– However, the prolongation of the war of aggression will probably test the unity of the West and Europe, says Juha Jokela of the Foreign Policy Institute.

You can discuss the topic on Wednesday, May 18th. until 11 p.m.