Cold winds - How Finland sees national security

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Mika Aaltola, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, joins Rory Medcalf to shine a light on the distinctly Finnish way of safeguarding a small democracy’s national security in an unforgiving strategic environment.

A major consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the historic decision by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. But Finland is no stranger to countering military aggression from Moscow. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Mika Aaltola, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), joins Professor Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College, who recently visited Helsinki in his capacity as a member of the FIIA advisory council, to shine a light on the distinctly Finnish way of safeguarding a small democracy’s national security in an unforgiving strategic environment.

Dr Mika Aaltola is the Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and has been a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University, Le Centre de recherches internationals at Sciences Po, and Johns Hopkins University. His areas of expertise include the global role of the United States, dynamics of major power politics, democratic vulnerability, pandemic security, and Finnish foreign policy.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

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