Finland as NATO’s frontline state

Finland as NATO’s frontline state (NATOfront) project examines NATO’s frontline states and the possibilities for deeper defence cooperation with Finland. The study creates new conceptual and theoretical knowledge on NATO’s frontline states by comparing various strategic, military, economic and defence cooperation-related factors across NATO’s northeastern and southeastern flanks. The project is funded by Scientific Advisory Board for Defence (MATINE).

With NATO membership, Finland became a frontline state, with the longest land border with Russia. As a new member of NATO, Finland is expected to take an active role in the Alliance. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the Alliance’s strategic directions and the different roles the frontline states play in NATO’s deterrence and defence posture. Additionally, understanding the defence policy and strategic thinking of its new allies will help Finland deepen its strategic partnerships and make use of limited resources.

The project consists of three work packages. The first will analyse the operating environments of the Baltic and Black Seas from the perspective of NATO’s frontline states. The second phase will examine Finland’s new NATO allies in the southeastern and northeastern directions, as well as the potential for deepening defence cooperation with Finland. The third package consists of a comparative analysis of the NATO frontline states under study. Several publications, as well as a final report, will be published at the end of the project.

The research project is led by Senior Research Fellow Dr Iro Särkkä. Participants include Research Fellow Joel Linnainmäki and Senior Research Fellow Matti Pesu. The project started in February 2025 and will end in December 2026.