MILAN — Finland has released a new Arctic security strategy that seeks to define the country’s growing role in a region facing overlapping claims by friends and foes alike.
The document, published Nov. 25 as an update to a previous version from 2021 when Finland was still outside of NATO, dances around managing relationships with the United States under President Donald Trump as a fellow Arctic nation, in particular.
“The U.S. is increasingly viewing the Arctic through the lens of global competition, shaped by the ‘America First’ policy— it prioritizes national security, economic cooperation, and critical minerals and has shifted away from climate change mitigation and sustainable development,” the document reads.
It mentions that statements made by U.S. officials, who have argued that Washington should exercise greater control over Greenland, have raised questions for Finland.
Nearly one-third of Finland’s land mass lies above the Arctic Circle, in the region of Lapland.
There are eight countries with territory within or north of the Arctic Circle that are members of the Arctic Council: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
This week, the Danish news outlet Politiken reported that the Trump administration has on several occasions tried to set up high-level meetings with Greenlandic authorities without Denmark present.
Meanwhile, Finland, Canada and the United States are involved in the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, dedicated to the joint development of icebreakers.
Since signing a memorandum of understanding in 2024, the three countries have announced a series of new contracts under this partnership: the U.S. launched its fleet renewal initiative last month, with a total plan of up to 11 icebreakers that will involve both Canadian and Finnish shipyards and companies.
On Nov. 18, the ICE Pact partners signed a joint statement of intent in Washington intended to strengthen trilateral cooperation on Arctic icebreaker construction and capabilities into 2026.
Finland’s latest Arctic security policy also highlights the growing role that the new NATO Forward Land Force unit, inaugurated in October in Northern Finland, will play in the alliance’s deterrence in the High North. In a state of emergency, the FLF will oversee the planning, command and control of land operations and defense across the wider Arctic region.
A significant portion of the strategy document is devoted to the activities of the Arctic Council, which remains the sole intergovernmental cooperation framework for all Arctic states. Although the forum is not in charge of security policy issues, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 deeply changed the nature of its collaboration.
“Russia remains a member, but no political level meetings or meetings of senior Arctic officials are held among Arctic States – expert and research cooperation continues within working groups,” the policy document said. The Finnish government stated that Arctic cooperation should continue within the framework of the Arctic governance body.
Several non-Arctic countries have applied or are considering applying for observer status in the Arctic Council, which would allow them to attend meetings, access documents, and contribute to working groups.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
