Recently, Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States, and Denmark immediately announced that it would open its border gates and allow the US team to enter its military bases. This series of moves has sparked concern and speculation. Why are Denmark and Finland actively seeking military cooperation with the United States?This will be analyzed in this section.
After Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States, the US military will be able to operate at military bases in Finland and build new storage sites next to the railway to Russia to place large quantities of ammunition. This is a clear indication of Finland's military advantages in cooperation with the United States, but it also faces certain risks and challenges. Finland has successfully joined NATO, but tensions with Russia continue. Finland may be worried about becoming Russia's next target during the Ukraine crisis and has stepped up its cooperation with the United States for military aid and protection.
However, Finland may have overlooked the role played by the United States in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation that continues to this day is not only a problem for both Ukraine and Russia, but also for the intervention of the United States and its allies. The United States has continued to support Ukraine and has exacerbated tensions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in various ways. Therefore, Finland's hopes for U.S. support and assistance in the conflict may be overly optimistic and may increase the risk that Finland itself will be affected by the conflict.
Similar to Finland, Denmark is eager to sign a closer defense cooperation agreement with the United States. Denmark** said it is updating its defense policy and that U.S. soldiers and equipment will have access to Danish military bases. This shows that Denmark has also joined the ranks of working with the US team to fight potential threats. Denmark has held consultations with the US side on the content of the agreement, which will be formally signed next week. This move once again demonstrates Denmark's willingness to establish closer military ties with the United States.
However, Denmark also has reservations about its cooperative attitude. The Danish defense minister said in an interview that the US team could not enter Greenland or the Faroe Islands through the agreement. Greenland is a region rich in resources and geographically important, and the United States has always wanted to gain control of the island. Denmark, unwilling to fully trust the United States at the outset, retained control over these regions. This shows Denmark's cautious approach to cooperation with the United States.
Since the third US-Nordic Summit, the Nordic countries have completely bid farewell to the neutral position of the past and have become the United States' helpers against Russia. At the summit, Ukraine's plight became a hot topic, with Biden repeatedly highlighting Ukraine's plight and calling on Nordic countries to support Ukraine. In his talks with Nordic leaders, Biden focused on the war situation in Ukraine, which shows Biden's intention to "join forces" with Nordic countries to confront Russia.
The positive response of the Nordic countries has also indeed provided support to Ukraine. Finland has joined NATO, providing the United States with tremendous support in the fight against Russia. Immediately afterward, Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States, further strengthening military cooperation between the two sides. This makes Denmark** feel urgent and willing to work with the United States to ensure good relations with NATO members. If Denmark refuses to cooperate with the United States, it could lead to tensions with other NATO countries and even exclusion from NATO.
It can be seen that the US military has already expanded its influence in Northern Europe, and the Nordic countries have voluntarily become the "** in the face of this situation, we should remain vigilant and prepare accordingly. The cooperation between the Nordic countries and the United States has certain positive significance for maintaining regional security and stability, but at the same time, there are risks and challenges. We need to be clear about our national interests and coordinate our relations with all parties in our foreign and security policies.
To sum up, Finland signed a defense agreement with the United States, and Denmark opened its border gates for their own reasons and considerations. Finland wants to receive military assistance and protection by strengthening cooperation with the United States in order to cope with tensions with Russia. However, Finland may be overly optimistic in pinning its hopes on US support, ignoring the US role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Denmark is also anxious to establish closer military ties with the United States, but still retains some reservations in cooperation. The Nordic countries gradually bid farewell to their neutrality and became the United States' helper against Russia. While the Nordic countries need to be vigilant when working with the United States, they should also be flexible enough to decide on their cooperation with each other in accordance with their own national interests.