Securing NATO's northern flank

On the podcast this week we look at the UK’s role in the defence of the Nordic region. Since the annexation of Crimea, the UK has taken a keen interest in the Nordic and Baltic regions, with the formation of the Joint Expeditionary Force. With Kyiv’s counter-offensive now underway, we look at how Europe’s security is being reshaped by events in Ukraine, what London and the JEF states are looking to achieve by operating more closely in the north, and the balance of forces between NATO and Russia in the Baltic now Finland is a NATO member.

Also, this week, we look ahead to the NATO summit in Vilnius next month. With Finland now an alliance member, but Sweden still outside, are alliance politics (with Turkey and Hungary) leaving NATO's northern flank vulnerable. What role are key alliance members like France and the UK playing ahead of Vilnius, and in the face of intense fighting in the east, what kind of plan might the alliance offer Ukraine?

Joining Roxanne Escobales on the show this week are Olivia O’Sullivan, Director of our UK in the World program, Alice Billon-Galland, a Research Fellow with Chatham House’s Europe program and from Helsinki Matti Pesu, a Researcher with the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

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Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Alex Moyler.