The defense and foreign ministers of Finland, Sweden, and Denmark have penned a joint op-ed hailing their new respective bilateral military cooperation agreements with the United States as a “historic step” demonstrating security consensus in northern Europe amid the Russian threat.
The ministers said Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine represented a “breaking point” for European security that necessitated Finland and Sweden’s decision to pursue NATO membership.
“We stand for a long-term, clear-sighted, and realistic Russia policy, which is based on a credible deterrence and defense capability.
The officials contended the new defense pacts will facilitate early and effective US military assistance in a deteriorating situation, with an American presence acting as a deterrent.
“The agreements strengthen security for both our countries and the United States, and for our Nordic and Baltic neighboring countries.
They are applicable bilaterally, but will also facilitate NATO’s defense planning and contribute to strengthening the alliance as a whole.
In December, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement (DCA) that will allow the US military to deploy its troops on their territory. »
