HSF Blog

Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has emphasised how important maintaining a credible deterrence and defence posture is – and how unprepared for this task most European states have long been.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marks the first time in world history when a state uses its nuclear arsenal as coercive leverage in a war of conquest. The reverberations are felt throughout the world.

The EU has rejected the language of spheres of influence in favour of an international order based on common rules rather than the power of the strongest. However, when it comes to the policy towards Russia, this rejection has been more evident in words than deeds.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has had significant ripple effects in Indo-Pacific security dynamics and ongoing great-power competition.

Poland is on track to be one of Europe’s most significant military powers. This naturally has effects on both European and NATO security and leverage.

Policymakers believed that growing interdependence would encourage states to abandon power politics in favour of cooperation and global marketplace. This belief has now been broken.

The geopolitical landscape of water and climate is changing due to innovation and technological evolution. How will it affect our capacity to respond to major global crises such as climate change and water insecurity?

The final session of HSF 2023 dived into the multifaceted world of economic security. Economic interdependence between countries is a product of globalisation, which, in the era of radical uncertainty, has proven to include both advantages and risks.

Where and how must we reject Russian spheres of influence? The fifth panel of Helsinki Security Forum 2023 delved into the resistance to Russian influence both in neighbouring states and in the minds of Western decision-makers.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has had significant effects on Indo-Pacific security dynamics and great-power competition. The third session of Helsinki Security Forum 2023 turned the focus to the region.

The intersection of technology development and societal security is an increasingly pressing issue for governments and companies. In the second panel of Helsinki Security Forum 2023, the expert speakers addressed the topic on the conference stage.

How will Europe defend itself and its allies amongst the global era of radical uncertainty? In the first session of Helsinki Security Forum 2023, GMF President Heather Conley and Professor Sten Rynning discussed the future of NATO and how to defend and secure Europe.

Countries have traditionally been protectionist in their defence equipment procurements. The war has shown the need for interchangeable equipment and performance so that logistical support and maintenance can be provided more efficiently and reliably.

It is evident that safe and secure cities are not built inside City organisations – we build them together with citizens, authorities and partners

To meet the demands of the changed security environment, Finland’s defence is now being enhanced with an accelerated schedule and additional resources.

This year, HSF takes place on NATO territory. Here are some selected examples of how Finland is adding to NATO’s value.

As President Joe Biden visits Finland, a new leaf in the book of Finnish foreign and security policy is turned. President Biden is visiting Finland specifically to solidify alliance relations with the Nordics.  

Five lessons that states and international organisations can learn from the intervention – for their own and for Afghanistan’s sake.

“The main driver of Finland’s NATO policy – the set of interests, objectives, and tasks it pursues in the alliance – will be the country’s geostrategic position.”