The Nordic Countries and Ukraine
“For Russia, the invasion of Ukraine was not about conquering land or subjugating a people, not about re-establishing the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire, but about establishing “a neutral buffer zone” to guarantee Russia’s existence as a state. For Russia, it is vital to have a buffer zone to guarantee its survival. The same problem applies to Northern Europe. During the Cold War, the Nordic countries served as a zone of détente, as a buffer zone, because Sweden and Finland were more or less neutral, while Norway as a member of NATO did not allow for U.S. bases on its territory. With NATO membership and the new Defense Cooperation Agreements (DCA) between the United States and the Nordic countries, we are now risking a military confrontation.”
https://substack.com/home/post/p-145271486?r=o1vob&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web