Merz at the Nordic summit: Future of NATO and Russia in focus!

Merz at the Nordic summit: Future of NATO and Russia in focus!

Turku, Finnland - Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) visited Finland to take part in Turku at the summit of the Nordic countries. This meeting is of considerable importance, since the main topics concern the defense of the NATO alliance area and economic cooperation. Merz, who has only been in office for three weeks, has already visited the eighth country with Finland. The summit is an opportunity to talk to five NATO partners-Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Sweden.

The focus is particularly on the 1,340 kilometer -long border of Finland to Russia. Media reports on the upgrading of the Russian armed forces near the border have also tense the security situation. Satellite images show new warehouses and a large camp on a military base, which increases the concerns about security in the region. Discussions about the Russian attack war against Ukraine can also be expected as part of the summit.

Security and support for Ukraine

The Nordic states, including Finland, are loyal supporters of Ukraine and work closely with the Baltic countries. In addition to Merz, government heads of the autonomous regions of Greenland, Faröer and Åland also take part in the summit. A discussion about the controversial Greenland claims by US President Donald Trump could also take place.

Merz will take part in a medieval castle in the evening and stay in Finland at night. Bilateral talks with the Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and President Alexander Stubb are planned on Tuesday. Stubb, which has good relationships with Trump, could give Merz valuable tips for his visit to the White House.

Finland's accession and geopolitical context

Finland and Sweden gave up their neutral security concepts and decided to join NATO. The background of this decision lies in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both countries traditionally had a policy of armed neutrality, but the geopolitical tensions led to a rethink. Finland officially joined NATO on April 4, 2023, while Sweden's accession is currently blocked by Turkey and Hungary.

The Finnish army consists of over 20,000 active soldiers and can fall back on around 900,000 reservists in the event of a defense. Despite the belonging to NATO, accession is considered a threat to Russia, which was called "attack on our security". The further development of relationships between Finland, Sweden and NATO could also play a crucial role in the upcoming negotiations during the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023.