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The threat next door: How NATO’s newest members are preparing to defend against Russia

The threat next door: How NATO’s newest members are preparing to defend against Russia

The House vor 1 Jahr

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48:47

NATO’s secretary general has warned Russia could launch an attack
on the alliance within the next five years. Talk to NATO’s two
newest members, Finland and Sweden, and they’ll tell you
preparation involves a lot more than just boosting military
spending. As Canada seeks to strengthen ties with both countries,
what can we learn from our newest NATO allies about preparing for
the worst?

Supported by the R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding
Fellowship, CBC's Emma Godmere travelled to the two Nordic
countries to visit bomb shelters, the Russian border and military
training grounds north of the Arctic Circle to see and hear how
Finns and Swedes are steeling themselves for whatever the future
may bring.

This episode features the voices of:

Elina Valtonen, Finland’s minister of foreign affairs

Viktoria Hjort Malmer, defence policy director at Sweden’s
Ministry of Defence

Janne Kuusela, director general, defence policy department at
Finland’s Ministry of Defence

Antti Virta, deputy commander, Southeast Finland Border Guard
District

Samuel Siljanen, head of operations, Southeast Finland Border
Guard District

Lt.-Col. Mikael Dalin, Swedish Army

Lt.-Col. Jukka Vuorisalmi, Finnish Army

Nina Järvenkylä, Helsinki City Rescue Department

Harri Mikkola, programme director for Finnish foreign policy,
northern European security and NATO at the Finnish Institute of
International Affairs

Niklas Granholm, deputy director of studies, Swedish Defence
Research Agency

Sara Myrdal, director of international affairs, Swedish Civil
Contingencies Agency

and residents of Lappeenranta, Rovaniemi, and Helsinki,
Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden