Nordic and Baltic cooperation has been growing stronger for a long time and could culminate in a United North as a new pillar of strength for the free world grounded in democracy, trust and a shared responsibility for security, writes Marko Mihkelson.
The geopolitical landscape of Europe and the wider world has changed more rapidly in recent years than most of us could have imagined just a decade ago. Amid this broader turbulence and growing uncertainty, however, there is one positive development that deserves far greater attention: the emergence of the NB8 cooperation framework between the Nordic and Baltic countries as one of the most influential and cohesive regional forces in the free world.
This has not happened overnight. It is the result of a gradual process made possible by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The restoration of independence by the Baltic states opened the door to closer cooperation with the Nordic countries, while the easing of regional tensions created the conditions that eventually led to Sweden and Finland joining the European Union in 1995.
The strategic culmination of this geopolitical process came only recently when Finland and Sweden joined NATO in 2023 and 2024, respectively. This marks one of the greatest geopolitical victories for our region — indeed, a historical turning point that should not only be appreciated, but consciously strengthened every day. Never before have the Nordic and Baltic countries belonged to a single, unified defense alliance as they do now.
Estonia, too, has reason to feel gratitude in this story. Nordic support was decisive during the 1990s when we emerged — faster than many expected — from the suffocating grip of the Russian empire to rebuild a functioning democratic state with strong institutions.
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