Finland and the other Nordic countries are a safe partner for the United States in the midst of geopolitical upheavals. The United States assures that it can do the same, writes ‘s US correspondent Iida Tikka.
HELSINKI The summit meeting of the Nordic countries became a Finnish show. It was clear when the last president of the United States Joe Biden a member of the convoy had been loaded onto the president’s plane for home.
Biden’s visit completed the super week of security policy, during which Finland participated for the first time in the NATO summit as a full member of the military alliance and hosted the leader of the superpower in Helsinki. At the same time, it sealed the turn in foreign and security policy.
For decades, Finland was a so-called display window for the Soviet Union, through which the neighboring power presented to the West its skillful friendly coexistence with its neighbor.
In the future, Finland will be a different kind of model country – an example of an ally of the US’s dreams.
However, it remained unclear how long the United States will be a stable partner for Finland.
During their joint press conference, Joe Biden and the President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö complimented each other a lot.
Niinistö praised Biden’s role as a guarantor of NATO’s unity. According to Biden, Finland is a strong country whose NATO membership makes the whole world safer.
With this, Biden seemed to be referring to the perception in Washington that Finland’s membership increases NATO’s deterrence. In particular, Finland’s strong ground forces, arctic know-how and information security know-how are an advantage for NATO.
It is also important to Biden that Finland is known for its stable democracy. It makes Finland a particularly promising ally, with which the United States can remind the rest of the world of the benefits of the alliance.
So far, Finland and the United States have agreed on cooperation in the development of the 6G network and quantum technology. The trade is growing at a fast pace, as Finnish companies that have left Eastern trade are eagerly looking for new markets.
The US’s expanded understanding of security benefits Finnish companies, when in addition to traditional military industries, companies familiar with climate technology and information security can sell their innovations to the US defense forces.
Business deals with the US Defense Forces are particularly attractive. The Pentagon’s budget is stable even amid extreme domestic political polarization.
So both benefit, in the best case scenario. In the worst case, the honeymoon period will be short.
Biden has excelled as a unifier of NATO and a promoter of international cooperation. But his presidency could end as early as next year, if US voters decide so.
The election may well be won Donald Trump or a radical republican imitating this, who rejects cooperation with Europe and prefers to meet in Helsinki Vladimir Putin like the leaders of the Nordic countries.
According to Trump’s close advisers, it was also close that the president would have withdrawn the United States from NATO.
It frightened not only the European leaders but also the politicians who support the traditional US security policy.
A number of senators have repeatedly proposed a change in the law that would significantly limit the president’s power to decide on US membership in NATO. The bill has not moved forward during Biden’s term, and a group of senators presented their idea again this week.
If Biden shares the senators’ concern about tomorrow, he didn’t want to show it in Helsinki.
asked Biden how this guarantees the reliability of the United States as an ally when fluctuating domestic politics threatens a stable security policy.
Biden responded by assuring that the US commitment to NATO is unwavering and ongoing.
– I can completely guarantee it. Citizens and both parties in the Senate and the House overwhelmingly support NATO, excluding the more extreme positions of the other party, Biden said, referring to the Republican Party.
Maybe Biden is right, maybe it’s the famous American optimism.
However, the Finnish pessimist might breathe easier if the US’s commitment to the alliance relationship did not depend only on the mental movements of future presidents.