U.S. Plans for 47 Bases in Nordic Countries
On February 21, the Finnish website Naapuriseuran Sanomat published an article by Jaakko Laakso detailing how in the last two years, the Nordic countries -- Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway -- have handed over multiple sites for the U.S. to establish its military bases. Laakso was a Member of the Finnish Parliament and a member of its Defense Committee between 1991 and 2011. Laakso was also the vice-chairman of the Defense Committee between 1991 and 2007. Excerpts of the article follow below.
The United States is establishing a total of 47 bases in the Nordic countries.
The decision on military bases is based on the DCA agreements between the Nordic countries and the United States, i.e. the so-called defense cooperation agreements. Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark hand over their own areas to the sovereign use of the United States armed forces as base areas.
The DCA agreement is a bilateral military cooperation agreement between each of the Nordic countries with the United States. The agreements are a key part of the U.S.'s new strategic defense system, which primarily concerns the Arctic region, but also the Baltic Sea.
The United States does not hide in any way that the construction of a new network of bases in the Nordic countries is a matter of strategic deterrence, first of all against Russia, but also against China. China's interest in the Arctic region is said to have grown in recent years.
In the coming years, the United States is expected to transfer soldiers, weapons and weapon systems, as well as a large number of different logistics to the Nordic countries. It is also about pre-storage of heavy weapons and weapon systems in U.S. base areas. "Strategic deterrence" can also be used for an attack if necessary.
Finland, Sweden and Denmark each signed their own DCA agreement in December 2023. Norway already in 2022.
Fifteen (15) U.S. bases will be established in Finland, seventeen (17) in Sweden, three (3) in Denmark and twelve (12) in Norway.
Norway Has Removed and Relaxed Previous Restrictions on the Military Actions of NATO Countries
Norway was one of the founding members of the military alliance NATO in 1949. However, especially during the Cold War, the Norwegian government restricted the activities of foreign armed forces in certain parts of Norway in different ways. Norway also prohibited the placement of nuclear weapons on the country's territory during peacetime, as well as the establishment of NATO bases on its territory and the permanent presence of foreign soldiers in the country.
Nowadays, all previous restrictions unilaterally announced by Norway are like a line drawn in the water. Restrictions have never been jointly agreed with NATO.
[...]
Norway has changed its practices several times, but always in the same direction. A considerable part of the restrictions has been removed and the remaining restrictions have been relaxed.
The reason for the removal and loosening has been, above all, heavy pressure from NATO allies and especially from the United States. They were dissatisfied with the fact that some areas of Norway were completely closed to foreign forces and therefore joint military exercises with the Norwegian armed forces were not organized there either.
Finland Did Not Set a Single Restriction on NATO Membership
During the NATO membership process, Finland already removed its own restrictions on NATO countries' data collection from Russia. Finland has opened its airspace along its entire eastern border for signals intelligence flights by the U.S. and Swedish air forces, which map Russian military activity in the nearby areas.
[The Social Democrat government of Prime Minister Sanna Marini] allowed American intelligence planes to start regular flights along Finland's eastern border as early as March 2023.
Now Norway is also considering whether the restrictions imposed during the Cold War on the military activities of other NATO countries in the area of eastern Finnmarken near the Russian border are no longer appropriate at all.
In particular, Finland's NATO membership without any kind of reservations or boundary conditions seems to accelerate at least the complete dismantling of regional restrictions in Norway as well.
[...]
Above all, the United States is satisfied with the current direction of development. And that's why its armed forces have also gained access to large areas in Norway. In connection with the DCA agreement, the U.S. armed forces received four military areas for their sovereign use, and surprisingly in February 2024, eight more areas were announced where the U.S. can establish new bases.
[...]
Also for Britain a Base in Norway
In March last year, Britain also established a military base in northern Norway. The intention is to station there more or less permanently a thousand soldiers of the British marine special forces, or commandos.
The base is called Camp Viking and is used for arctic warfare training for British soldiers. Along with the British forces, it can also be used by other NATO countries. The British base is the so-called forward base and at the same time, if necessary, a logistical center for Arctic warfare.
The base of the British elite forces is 40 miles south of Tromsø near the small village of Överbygd. Next door is Norway's own Skold garrison.
[...]
Since Norway, according to its base policy, does not allow "permanent foreign troops" to be stationed in the country, the base agreements have been concluded for ten years. In the same way, DCA agreements with other Nordic countries, including Finland, are "temporary."
However, the contracts continue automatically, unless one of the contracting parties decides to terminate the contract one year before the end of the first contract period.
Russia Invited the Finnish Ambassador for an Interview
Because
of the DCA Agreement
Finland decided to give no less than 15 of its own territories to the use of the United States armed forces and to the sovereign control of the United States by signing a military cooperation agreement, or DCA agreement, with the United States in December 2023. [...]
Immediately after the signing, the Russian Foreign Ministry invited the Finnish ambassador Antti Helanterän to discuss the agreement and the ambassador was asked to convey the Russian communication to the Finnish government.
Russia also considered it noteworthy that the U.S. armed forces coming to Finland were operating outside of Finnish legislation.
[Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs] Zakharova stated that the deployment of NATO's stronger military potential near Russia's borders poses a threat to Russia's security. According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia therefore does not intend to fail to respond to the "aggressive decisions" of Finland and its NATO allies with actions it deems necessary. The same is stated in the Russian communication.
Likewise, the responsibility for turning the "good neighborly area" into a "possible confrontation zone" rests entirely with Finland's current decision-makers.
This article was published in
Volume 54 Number 12 - December 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/M540125.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca