Finland in the Arctic: from détente to defence

The Arctic region constitutes a major element in Finnish diplomacy and foreign policy. As Finland's security is directly linked to geopolitical changes in Northern Europe, Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022 dramatically changed the country's foreign and security policy. Consequently, Finland joined NATO in April 2023. This chapter investigates how Finland's Arctic identity and interests are played out in international, regional and national contexts. It begins with an outline of Finland's history, policy and domestic debates concerning the Arctic. Then, the chapter discusses Finland's key security interests and defence cooperation frameworks, especially its relations with NATO, the Nordic states and the EU. Finally, it concludes that defence cooperation with Sweden, Norway, the UK and the United States will likely constitute Finland's key security framework in the Arctic context in the future.