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What makes an ally? Sweden and Finland as NATO’s closest partners

Wieslander, Anna LU (2019) In Journal of Transatlantic Studies 17(2). p.194-222
Abstract

From 2013 onward, Sweden and Finland gradually distinguish themselves from all other NATO partners in order to meet the growing challenge how to defend the Baltics. In the analysis, the concept of ‘informal ally’, in contrast to ‘formal ally’, is introduced. A synthesized analytical framework is used to evaluate the process of ever closer partner cooperation and its shifting focus from cooperative security to collective defense. For NATO, the concept of informal allies is central to address. How do informal allies impact NATO in decision-making, operational planning and crisis response? How can NATO balance in solving its core tasks efficiently, without undermining itself as a multilateral institution?

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Alliance theory, Defense policy, Finland, Informal ally, NATO, Partnership for Peace (PfP), Security policy, Sweden
in
Journal of Transatlantic Studies
volume
17
issue
2
pages
29 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85067010504
ISSN
1479-4012
DOI
10.1057/s42738-019-00019-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cd881bf8-262e-44c8-bfa0-480fcb780e40
date added to LUP
2019-07-01 07:35:22
date last changed
2024-07-09 20:39:06
@article{cd881bf8-262e-44c8-bfa0-480fcb780e40,
  abstract     = {{<p>From 2013 onward, Sweden and Finland gradually distinguish themselves from all other NATO partners in order to meet the growing challenge how to defend the Baltics. In the analysis, the concept of ‘informal ally’, in contrast to ‘formal ally’, is introduced. A synthesized analytical framework is used to evaluate the process of ever closer partner cooperation and its shifting focus from cooperative security to collective defense. For NATO, the concept of informal allies is central to address. How do informal allies impact NATO in decision-making, operational planning and crisis response? How can NATO balance in solving its core tasks efficiently, without undermining itself as a multilateral institution?</p>}},
  author       = {{Wieslander, Anna}},
  issn         = {{1479-4012}},
  keywords     = {{Alliance theory; Defense policy; Finland; Informal ally; NATO; Partnership for Peace (PfP); Security policy; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{194--222}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Journal of Transatlantic Studies}},
  title        = {{What makes an ally? Sweden and Finland as NATO’s closest partners}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s42738-019-00019-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1057/s42738-019-00019-9}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}