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Nordic-Baltic total defence: easier said than done

NATO’s newest members Finland and Sweden are already net contributors to Allied security. Well known for their military capability, the two countries also bring a new approach into the Alliance: total defence. While military cooperation is intensifying, civil defence and civil-military cooperation need to be better integrated into Nordic-Baltic regional defence.

Finland and Sweden are known for their so-called “total defence” approach to security, in which national defence is not only a task for the military but for the whole of society. The security concept was primarily developed for three reasons: their history outside of NATO, geographical proximity to the Soviet/Russian threat, and large territories with small populations.

July 8, 2025 - Eric Adamson Minna Ålander - Hot TopicsIssue 4 2025Magazine

The NATO Military Committee were warmly welcomed to Rovaniemi in Finland, 27-29th May. Photo: NATO

Given that Finland and Sweden have not enjoyed NATO’s collective security guarantee for most of the Alliance’s history, they had to develop credible national defence systems during the Cold War. The ability to defend a large territory with little manpower meant that a conscription-based reserve system was a must to secure the necessary number of troops. But beyond that, civil defence and civil-military cooperation were also imperative. Civilian life needed to continue functioning even under wartime conditions, while it also could fulfil support tasks for the armed forces. Today, defending Finland and Sweden is still a nation-wide effort. Every citizen has a responsibility to contribute to their country’s security. This approach differs significantly from countries with a strategic culture where the military is a separate profession that does not necessarily rely on, or substantially interact with, the civilian population.

Finland and Sweden: security providers in NATO

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