The Finnish Institute of International Affairs has received funding of 176,760 euros from the Scientific Advisory Board for Defence for the project “Finland as a NATO frontline state”. The project runs from 1 February 2025 to 31 December 2026 and it continues FIIA’s self-funded BITRIMINI project, which examined Finland’s defense cooperation opportunities with NATO allies.
The project will delve into research of NATO frontline states and their defensive operational environment. Additionally, the project will explore Finland’s opportunities to deepen defense cooperation with NATO allies in the northeastern and southeastern directions.
“In the recent deteriorating security situation, NATO has increased its presence on its eastern borders. Previously, the states on NATO’s eastern border have been studied separately with a focus on how defense and deterrence appear in their defense policies. However, there has been less conceptual and comparative research on NATO frontline states,” describes Senior Research Fellow Iro Särkkä, who leads the project.
With its NATO membership, Finland became a NATO frontline state, sharing the longest land border of the alliance with Russia. Consequently, active participation and comprehensive understanding of the alliance’s strategic developments and the role of frontline states are emphasized.
“Finland has established strong partnerships in the immediate security environment, but Finland should enhance its understanding, particularly of the defense policies of the states on NATO’s eastern border. The project’s goal is to find connections regarding the roles and operational models of NATO frontline states in creating NATO’s common deterrence and defense,” Särkkä notes.
The project is led by Senior Research Fellow Iro Särkkä. The project is also contributed by FIIA’s Research Fellow Joel Linnainmäki and Senior Research Fellow Matti Pesu.
Read more on the project’s website.
For more information, please contact:
Iro Särkkä
Senior Research Fellow
+358 50 566 5135
iro.sarkka@fiia.fi
Iro Särkkä
Senior Research Fellow