Neutral No More
Why Finland and Sweden are Joining NATO
Seminar
The recent decision of Finland and Sweden to jointly apply for NATO membership will change the security architecture of Europe for the foreseeable future. It more than doubles the direct contact line between the alliance and Russia and transforms the Baltic Sea into a NATO lake. While some hail the decision as an important step toward increasing the security of the two states and the deterrence of Russian aggressions, others point to the escalatory effect this might have on the over-all security structure of the continent. Join us for a discussion with two scholars of Scandinavia’s international relations to analyze the situation.
Speakers
Professor Dr. Thomas Jonter
Dr. Jonter is Professor of the International Relations Department at Stockholm University, member of the Swedish International Law and Disarmament Delegation, and member of the advisory board to the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs. His research focuses on nuclear non-proliferation and energy security. He published the seminal work The Key to Nuclear Restraint (Palgrave Macmillan).
Tapio Juntunen
Tapio Juntunen is University Instructor in Security Studies at Tampere University, Finland. He researches the effects of Cold War nuclear weapons politics on Finnish foreign policy and the history of Finnish foreign- and security policy. He recently published Best Pracitces in the whole-of-society approach in countering hybrid threats (EU Parliament Study).
Moderators
Dr. Pascal Lottaz
Dr. Lottaz is Adjunct Researcher for Neutrality Studies at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo and adjunct professor for European Politics at Temple University, Japan Campus. He researches the role of neutrality in international relations and recently edited the work Neutral Beyond the Cold (Lexington Books).
Professor Dr. Yoko Iwama
Dr. Iwama is Professor and Director of the Strategic Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. She researches the origins and the evolution of nuclear-sharing and nuclear-consultation system in NATO, and its relationship with the NPT. She recently edited the work Joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty (Routledge).