The integration of Finland represents undoubtedly the greatest challenge for the Atlantic Alliance, since it will double the length of its land borders with Russia, increasing from 1,215 kilometers to 2,555 kilometers. “We are ready to take care of it”, says Janne Kuusela, Director General at the Ministry of Defense in Helsinki. His country, he asserts, sees itself as “a security provider” and count well “continue to maintain its capacity to protect the border”. . . . For Finland, specifically Mr. Kuusela, “Article 3 of the NATO treaty, which states that each country is responsible for its defense, is as important as Article 5, which guarantees mutual assistance in the event of aggression”.
Sweden’s strength lies, according to experts, in its high-tech equipment, developed by its armaments industry: its five submarines, its corvettes, its hunters – including the JAS 39 Gripen -, but also “a sensor system that allows intelligence to be collected across the entire Baltic Sea region”says Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council.