New Nordic pathways? Explaining Nordic countries’ defence policy choices in the wake of the Ukrainian war

Abstract

ABSTRACT In May 2022 Finland and Sweden took the historical decision to apply for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). One month later, after a three-decade long opt-out, Denmark voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to join the European Union (EU) common defence policy (CSDP). Combining organised hypocrisy with post-functionalism, the article focuses on the normative and pragmatic concerns underlying states’ interaction with international institutions. Empirically, the article analyses the long-term political-institutional dynamics between Nordic countries, the EU CSDP and NATO since the end of the Cold War, and how they have been reshaped by the crisis provoked by the Russian attack on Ukraine.