Exploring Scandinavia

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Finns are learning to fight, mindful of their country’s 1,300km border with its bellicose eastern neighbor. Find out more about Finland’s security strategy in response to the Russia-Ukraine war

Significant changes in Finland have been made to national security with a stronger focus on the hard power attributes of deterrence. This has occurred alongside the strategic minimization of soft power and diplomacy in its engagement with Russia amid the War in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has already been identified by scholars as a turning point in contemporary politics, the impact of which is felt throughout the defense and security environment of all European nations. Finland is no exception, with its security concerns against external threats leading the country to rethink its reasons for previously not adhering to NATO membership.

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The National Defense Training Association of Finland, (MPK) established in 1993, is a national training organization, which trains and educates citizens to be prepared for and to survive dangerous situations in everyday life and under exceptional conditions. With this training, the Finnish government improves and supports the readiness of the Finnish Defense Forces and other authorities under normal and exceptional conditions. It works closely together with other volunteer organizations doing security training, educational and informational work.

When Russia lunched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, applications to MPK courses grew tenfold. Most of them – many of which charge a 15$ enrollment fee – now sell out for hours. The Ukraine war is the reason for taking part. Courses such as these are a great way to learn basic military skills in a short period of time.

The Russia-Ukraine War has caused Finland to fundamentally shift its national security strategy by increasing the national defense budget and joining the North Atlantic Organization Treaty (NATO) as a full member. This recent development marks the latest dynamic shift in Finland’s post-Cold War security strategy vis-a-vis Russia, which took place across three pivotal eras: 1992-2013, 2014-2022, and the Russia-Ukraine War era.

The effects of the war on Finland’s ‘holistic’ approach to security are still awaiting debate and analysis by academics. Finland’s ‘holistic’ approach to security is an inclusive strategy that integrates military, civil, and societal aspects to ensure comprehensive national security. This model, often referred to as ‘comprehensive security’ has been pointed out by Finland and its representatives for its uniqueness. According to this perspective, Finland’s political choices consider “all security-related elements that, if threatened, could cause serious harm or danger to the public or society.

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The Puolustusvoimat (Finnish Defense Forces) views the MPK as a strategic and operative partner. Despite the latter’s national independence, much of the training takes place on military grounds with military gear. Moreover, most of the courses that MPK runs, are designed in collaboration with the defense forces. The MPK’s mission statement, as defined by Finnish law, is to promote national defense while supporting and improving the country’s military preparedness.

Remarkably, its courses train more than 70,000 participants a year on a budget of just $8m. And these numbers are set to grow.

Since its independence in 1917 from the Russian Empire, Finland has had a strained relationship with its neighbour. Finland’s strategic loss in the Winter War (1939) and the Continuation War (1941-1944), which it fought against Russia’s preceding entity, the Soviet Union (USSR), during World War Two, forced it to take a neutral policy amid the Cold War. To avoid a direct conflict with its grand neighbor and to preserve its independence, Finland successfully balanced its relations with the USSR and the West. The policy was led by Finnish Presidents Juho Paasiviki and Urho Kekkonen, who the Soviets pushed to sign in 1948 the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (FCMA), a deal known as “Finlandization,” which standardized their relationship. At the same time, Finland had to give up its desire to become part of the pro-West architecture, namely joining the Marshal Plan and the European Union (EU), not to mention the NATO alliance. (A summary by  Doron Feldman, a PhD candidate in the School of Political Science, Government, and International Affairs at Tel-Aviv University. Doron is also a national cybersecurity strategies researcher at TAU’s Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology, and Security).

The Finnish model of collective preparedness centers around a so-called ‘holistic approach’ (The Finnish Terminology Centre 2017, p. 15), with comprehensive security as its cornerstone. This entails an ideal situation where all threats aimed at vital societal functions are managed in a unified manner. Moreover, the term ‘comprehensive’ signifies that this model includes all pertinent stakeholders, ranging from individual citizens to governmental authorities (Nilsson and Strömberg 2022).

To properly understand this security model, it is essential to rewind to the beginning of 2022 and reflect on the essence of Finland’s comprehensive security. The primary reference point for understanding this model is the 2017 Security Strategy for Society. Within this Finnish government document, comprehensive security is delineated as the ‘Finnish model of joint preparedness’ (Government of Finland 2017). This model operates on the principle that all public authorities also function as security entities, and therefore collaboration is key to comprehensive security: not only are businesses, non-governmental organizations, and citizens expected to contribute but they are also entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding vital functions — those crucial for the well-functioning of society, that must be upheld under all circumstances (Government of Finland 2017, pp. 14–24).

“Without the 3,000 unpaid volunteers who run MPK and its exercises, none of this would be possible,” according to Vesa Sundqvist, head of the organization’s Southern Finland District. When Russia attacked Ukraine, public opinion about staying out of NATO in order to avoid provoking its eastern neighbor shifted rapidly. Mandatory national service still enjoys widespread popularity in the country, with surveys indicating that 70% of Finnish citizens would be willing to take up arms, among the highest number in Europe.

Fearing Russia’s aggression could drop Finland into a new armed confrontation with its neighbor, the Niinistö government expanded the 2024 defense budget to €6.2 billion and has planned to acquire advanced weaponry, including F-35 stealth jets at €8.4 billion and Israeli air defense system, David’s Sling. Finland also started building hundreds of kilometers of fencing across its 1,300 km eastern border to prevent Russia from weaponizing the immigration flows against it and bolstering its security relations with the US, the EU, and its Baltic and Nordic allies. Notably, the most critical move was joining as a full NATO member in April 2023. The strategic pivot marked Finland’s final abandonment of its neutral policy and adherence to hard power instruments in its national security strategy. The change was also expressed in the relative shrinking of Finland’s use of soft power and diplomacy in general and vis-à-vis Russia, though it does not mean Finland ultimately gave them away. Finland’s dedication to maintaining a robust national defense and fostering strong alliances with Western partners, along with unwavering support for Ukraine, is expected to persist under the leadership of the recently elected president, Alexander Stubb, who formerly served as the nation’s prime minister and foreign affairs minister. (Doron Feldman)

Since joining NATO in the spring of 2023, Finland’s relationship with the Alliance has undergone significant transformation. Politically, certain nations, particularly the United States, now regard Finland not just as a friendly partner but as a full-fledged ally. With Russia’s aggressive warfare fundamentally altering the security landscape, it’s unavoidable for Finland to reform its comprehensive security model.

Finland’s Security Strategy in Response to the Russia-Ukraine War, written by Tor Kjolberg