NATO's Nordic Expansion
Experts discuss why Finland and Sweden, both longstanding neutral nations, moved towards NATO membership following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
May
19
Reuters
About This Event
Sweden and Finland have officially applied for NATO membership following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a significant security policy change for the two Nordic nations. In light of this historic geopolitical shift, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith, former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt, and former Prime Minister of Finland Alexander Stubb join Council President Ivo Daalder to discuss what obstacles remain to a northern enlargement of NATO, how Moscow might respond, and the overall implications for European security.
About the Speakers
Former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sweden
Carl Bildt is the former prime minister and former foreign minister of Sweden. Subsequently, he served in international functions with the European Union and the United Nations, primarily related to the Balkans conflicts. He was co-chairman of the Dayton peace talks on Bosnia and Herzegovina and later became the special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to the region.
Distinguished Nonresident Fellow in Defense and Security
Ambassador Julianne Smith, who served as the former US permanent representative to NATO, is a national security expert with over two decades of experience in US and European defense policy and transatlantic relations. She's held leadership positions at the White House, Department of Defense, and Department of State. Smith joined the Council in 2025 as a distinguished fellow in defense and security.
Former Prime Minister, Finland
Professor Alexander Stubb is the director of the School of Transnational Governance at European University Institute. He has served as Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, and Trade and Europe Minister of Finland. From 2014 to 2016, he was the chairman of the Finnish National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), and later, vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB).
President Emeritus, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Ivo H. Daalder served as the US ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Council as president in 2013, took on the new role of CEO in 2023, and now serves as president emeritus. Previously, he was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and served as director for European affairs on President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council.