Transformation of the European security system in the light of Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO

Tatyana Meleshchenko

Transformation of the European security system in the light of Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO

Tatyana Meleshchenko

Abstract

The relevance of this study is conditioned by the accession of Sweden and Finland to the North Atlantic Al- liance, which has changed the European security system. The purpose of this study was to analyse the consequences of Finland and Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance for the European Union’s security system. The study used the methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison, and the abstract logical method. The study found that the reasons for the analysed countries’ accession to the Alliance were geopolitical, historical, and military-strategic. The key reasons for Sweden and Finland’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance include Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, their proximity and shared borders with Russia, a strategy of neutrality that was losing its effectiveness, and the merger of the countries’ military-industrial complexes. This accession radically changed the security system of Europe. It was found that the ac- cession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Alliance had both positive and negative consequences for the overall security system of European countries. On the one hand, the accession of these countries to the North Atlantic Alliance and the integration of their military forces into the Alliance helped to improve military capabilities, especially in the Baltic region, where the Allies did not have sufficient military power. On the other hand, the accession of new countries to the Alliance has also had negative consequences, such as complicating the defence decision-making process and increasing the confrontation between the Alliance countries in northern Europe and Russia. The findings of this study are of practical importance, as they present a holistic picture of changes in the European security system and can be used in practice by the legislative bodies of Ukraine in developing and implementing the country’s foreign policy

Keywords

foreign policy; Northern Europe; military-political transformations; regional stability; defence

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Suggested citation

Meleshchenko, T. (2024). Transformation of the European security system in the light of Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO. Foreign Affairs, 34(2), 36-42. https://doi.org/10.46493/2663-2675.34(2).2024.36