Can the Nordic countries have their own NATO?
As Nordic countries are increasingly facing common security challenges arising from the melting ice cap and the race for natural resources, the five governments are pondering on ways to pool resources and increase their collective security. At the request of Nordic governments, former Norwegian foreign minister Thorvald Stoltenberg drafted a report tabling 13 proposals of practical cooperation in the civilian and military field. The five foreign ministers are set to adopt some of these proposals at a meeting in Reykjavik in April. The last proposal, that of a “Nordic declaration of solidarity” bears some resemblance to NATO’s famous “Article 5”, stating that all members need to intervene when another member is under attack. The Stoltenberg report states that Nordic governments “should issue a mutual declaration of solidarity in which they commit themselves to clarifying how they would respond if a Nordic country were subject to external attack or undue pressure.” Some voices already se
