Why Norway and Finland Should Preserve Two of Europe’s Most Important Security Arrangements

Svalbard is a stark archipelago of glaciers and coal mines lying 650 kilometers (403 miles) north of Norway’s North Cape, roughly halfway between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole. It belongs to Norway but is governed under a 1920 treaty that grants nationals of more than 40 signatory states sweeping economic rights while barring Oslo from constructing naval bases or using the archipelago for “warlike” purposes. Far to the south, in the Baltic Sea between the Finnish and Swedish coasts, lie the Åland Islands, which are composed of roughly 6,500 islands and reefs. They are also home to 30,000 The post Why Norway and Finland Should Preserve Two of Europe’s Most Important Security Arrangements appeared first on War on the Rocks.