Transatlantic unity, Arctic strategy, and media's role highlighted at Baltic Sea Region Forum

Transatlantic cooperation, Arctic Europe, and media’s role in security were on the agenda at the Baltic Sea Region Forum that was organized in Turku on 20th May. The event attracted over 400 participants, half of them in person and rest online. Forum discussions painted a comprehensive picture of the multifaceted challenges facing the Baltic Sea Region and beyond. It's possible to return to the event by watching the recording on YouTube.

The first keynote speaker Tuomas Tiilikainen, the Commander of the Finnish Navy, summarized the status and tasks of naval defense while broadening the view to include also other societal actors. He also expanded the focus from the Baltic Sea Region to the strategic triangle formed by the Baltic Sea, the Arctic and the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, UK) gap. This triangle is instrumental in understanding the regional security architecture.

Ukraine’s victory is still achievable

Former Commander of United States Army Europe Ben Hodges emphasized the need for Western democracies to organize effectively to address current strategic threats. His key message was that the West must prioritize defeating Russia to deter further aggression in Europe, the Middle East, and from China. He stressed that, despite the difficult situation in Ukraine, victory is still achievable. However, this requires the West, especially the United States, to adopt a clear strategic objective: Ukraine's victory over Russia. The failure to communicate this strategic interest has led to hesitant policies and missed opportunities.

The Arctic needs to be integrated into broader strategic planning

The first panel dealt with the military challenges in Arctic Europe. The participants agreed that the Arctic has only recently risen to strategic prominence. However, this is not due to neglect but rather a deliberate decision to avoid politicizing or militarizing the region. The discussion about the Arctic is complicated by the fact that there are many definitions of what constitutes the Arctic. Additionally, the discourse varies due to different demographic perspectives. For Scandinavian countries, the Arctic is home to a significant portion of their population and is not viewed as a remote frontier. Therefore, strategic considerations of the Arctic must be integrated into broader Central European strategic planning.

Instead of just following, Europe must decide what it wants

The second panel discussed about the future of transatlantic cooperation. Participants all emphasized the extreme importance of unity, not only among the European countries, but also between Europe and the U.S. The current risk for this unity is the unpredictability of the situation in U.S. An isolationist president could reduce transatlantic cooperation, prevent further support to Ukraine and diminish the U.S. interest in Europe.  If Europe is left alone to support Ukraine, this could increase friction among the EU countries.

From an American viewpoint, Europe has only recently recognized the Chinese threat and is encouraged to team up with the U.S. to protect the Western world and its joint democratic values – not to mention economic values, too. The alliance of China and Russia is also a threat to Europe. However, it was pointed out that Europe should not just wait to see what the U.S. will do. Instead, Europe needs to decide what it wants, what goals it wants to have, and determine how to achieve them.  For Ukraine, the main focus is on security, without it there is nothing else.

Free press is an integral part of democracy

The third panel focused on the media’s role in contributing to security. One of the primary concerns raised was whether - in our pursuit of transparency and critical discourse within our own societies - we sometimes play into the hands of aggressors. How can we defend our societies and fight back, and still uphold the principles of a free media? While there are initiatives within the EU to regulate the technological means to collect and disseminate information, the most enduring solution to counter misinformation and orchestrated campaigns aimed at sowing chaos and distrust in democratic systems lies in sustained vigilance and education. It’s crucial to expose the methods used to indoctrinate and influence populations. The troubling trend of different actors to dismissing all negative information about them as conspiracies undermines the role of free media. This tactic renders the efforts of a free press futile, as wrongdoers can evade accountability by dismissing legitimate concerns as mere conspiracies. This undermines the public’s ability to hold leaders accountable and erodes trust in democratic institutions.
In his concluding remarks, Juha Vauhkonen, Rear Admiral (ret.), noted that the changing climate and the potential resources in the Arctic have increased China's interest in the area. While Russia continues to pose a security threat in the north, all the Arctic countries except Russia are members of NATO and can together create a significant counterweight to Russia and other security risks in the area.
More information about the Forum programme and speakers can be found at the event website.

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