Sweden Strengthening Gotland’s defense is a clear message from Sweden and a welcome transfer to Finland, says researcher

Swedish has reacted proactively to the escalating security situation in Europe and the Baltic Sea region by sending additional reinforcements to Gotland, says a senior researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute Matti Pesu.

The rumbling along the streets of Visby with tanks is a message from Sweden both to the outside and to its own people, Pesu says.

“Even though we have close relations, Finland and Sweden are like night and day. Finns are careful, take action but do not make them number. Sweden works and makes it a number, ”Pesu tells STT.

In the background is the culture of Swedish foreign and security policy, which has always been active, clear and sharp.

“In it, they send a message to Russia. There is a message both outwards and inwards that the defense capability is being restored and developed. ”

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“If things go wrong, Sweden will be our closest and most important partner.”

Message is also part of Finland, where there is reason to be satisfied with Sweden ‘s actions. Sweden’s investments will benefit us and increase the credibility of cooperation between Finland and Sweden, Pesu believes.

“Everything Sweden is doing to develop its defense capabilities is positive for us. We do not have as close defense cooperation with anyone as we do with Sweden. It also applies to wartime. If things go wrong, Sweden will be our closest and most important partner, only then will we look elsewhere. ”

Defense co-operation between Finland and Sweden has intensified in recent years, and the countries’ defense ministers meet frequently.

“Both have learned how things are decided in the other country and how things work. If we compare it to 2014, we are now on a completely different level, ”says Pesu and refers to the development after the conquest of Crimea.

Same also says the chairman of the parliamentary defense committee Ilkka Kanerva (Kok), who very much welcomes the fact that Sweden has changed the direction of its defense policy. Developments have been going on long before the recent escalation between Russia and Ukraine.

“The Swedish transfer is not starting from scratch. They have made an assessment of what needs to be done and raised their readiness accordingly. This has a clear signal value in the Baltic Sea. Sweden states that it is vigilant and reacts to what is happening around it, ”Kanerva tells STT.

Sweden named Gotland a strategically important region in the report in 2016 and re-established the recently disbanded Gotland Regiment in early 2018. General conscription had to be abolished for a few years until it was reinstated in 2018.

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“Finnish-Swedish co-operation is on the way.”

Kanervan According to Sweden, the country is now taking the country in the same direction as Finland.

“This will certainly improve our opportunities for collaboration. Our security environment is largely the same, and these measures provide the conditions for closer military cooperation, ”says Kanerva.

From Finland’s point of view, the development is also welcome because the Finnish-Swedish defense co-operation has strong support among the people.

“When an annual survey of citizens’ opinions is conducted, co-operation between Finland and Sweden is in the tap, not quite 100 per cent now, but almost. This is a situation that practically everyone sees as good. ”

Last December, the National Defense Bulletin kyselys 94% of respondents were in favor of military co-operation with Sweden.

Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen (center) did not want to comment on the situation to BTI.

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