Antony Blinken (right), United States. Secretary of State and Antti Hakkanen (left), Finnish Minister of Defense, sign the Defense Cooperation Agreement in Washington (Photo: Antti Hakkanen/Facebook)
Communists and peace activists have protested recent moves by the governments of Denmark, Finland, and Sweden to conclude military agreements with the US government, completely overturning those countries’ agreements. traditional military neutrality policy. The agreement gives the United States unrestricted military access to many bases in these countries and permission to station troops, vehicles, and weapons.
Denmark
On December 19, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that the United States and Denmark had reached an agreement on defense cooperation aimed at strengthening “security cooperation” and “deepening our partnership.” On December 20, a Danish communist publication Dagbladet Albeideren accused defense agreement is The deal is “irrevocable for 10 years” and gives the US military exclusive access to certain parts of Denmark that are prohibited to Danish authorities.
Danish Communist Party (DKP) It pointed out Through this agreement, the United States Danish bases, including Skridstorp, Kalp, and Aalborg airports, and the United States would be able to wage war directly from Danish territory and “create anxiety in Denmark and the Danish people.”
Another group, the Communist Party (KP), called on people to protest the deal and for it to be rejected by Denmark’s parliament, which must ratify it.
Finland
Meanwhile, Finland has also strengthened its ties with the US, with Defense Minister Antti Häkkanen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signing a defense cooperation agreement in Washington DC on December 18th.
According to the agreement, approximately 15 strategic locations will be accessible to U.S. forces, including the Finnish Border Guard barracks area in Ivalo and Karelia’s air base in Kuopio Risala, Lapland. Rovaniemi, Satakunthan Tampere Pirkkala And that Air Force University Air Base Jyväskylä-Tikkakoski, Upiniemi naval base, Kirkkonummi garrison, etc.
December 20th, Finnish Communist Party (SKP) accused That US military bases would not bring security to Finland, but problems. “This agreement places no limits or restrictions on the number or type of troops or weapons that the United States can deploy to Finland,” the party said. It does not even include restrictions on nuclear weapons. Keeping U.S. troops, weapons systems, and bases in Finland close to Russia’s strategically important heartland does not strengthen Finland’s security, but rather increases regional tensions. ”
“This is especially true because Finland and the United States do not want to impose limits on the number of troops, weapons, or even nuclear weapons. Therefore, this above all involves involving Finland and the other Nordic countries in a superpower strategy, and the Nordic It is an attempt by the United States to militarize the region.”
Previously, Finland applied for NATO membership in 2022, citing the “security threat posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” I participated The US-led war alliance became a full member on April 4, 2023, abandoning its decades-long policy of military neutrality. Finland became her 31st member state of NATO. NATO was formed in 1951 in the context of the Cold War as a military alliance to counter the growing influence of the Soviet Union in Europe and other regions.
NATO has continued to expand since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. Russia, the Soviet Union’s successor, opposes NATO’s eastward expansion, especially along its borders, as it threatens national security.
In response to the expansion of NATO’s base in Finland, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on December 17 that Russia would reinstate the Leningrad Military District, located on the Finnish border in the northwest, and move a significant number of troops there. announced that they would be stationed there.
December 20th, Communist Party of Finland (KTP) said “Even in Finland, the mission of the US military is not defense. Their mission, in cooperation with the Finnish army, is to harass Russia in every possible way. Official statements from the Russian government regarding this mission have already been received. According to the report, Russia views the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) as a threat to itself.
“The deal will still be submitted to Congress, but it is unlikely to be rejected because all parties in Congress are NATO members and are struggling in the United States. The next move was the introduction of American B-52 bombers and nuclear weapons onto Finnish soil. Finland’s independence was lost in just a few years. The new host country is now coming from the United States and its military alliance NATO. ”KTP added.
Last month, on November 25, the Helsinki Peace Action Group organized a demonstration in the Finnish capital against the opening of Finnish military bases to foreign forces.
Sweden
Earlier this month, on December 5, Sweden also signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States, strengthening its efforts to join NATO, which has not yet been approved by NATO member Turkey.Swedish communists too criticized Sweden is likely to join the US-led NATO war alliance as its 32nd member state.
December 13, Swedish Communist Publication proletalen said The defense cooperation agreement will allow the United States to station personnel and weapons systems in 17 locations in Sweden, from north to south.
Communist Party (K) slammed It was treason for Swedish Defense Minister Poul Jonsson to sign the Defense Cooperation Agreement with American Defense Minister Lloyd Austin because “the Swedish government started most of the wars thereafter without any discussion.” This is because they are tied to the state and are putting the people at risk.” Second World War. “
On December 24, Andreas Sørensen of the Swedish Communist Party (SKP) said: dispatch of people “Sweden’s full integration into the Euro-Atlantic imperialist bloc is a sign of the intensifying contradictions within the imperialist system, in which the national bourgeoisie is increasingly willing to defend and expand its position.” “
“This policy of the Swedish bourgeoisie to openly collaborate with US imperialism poses a real danger not only for Sweden but also for the working peoples of the region, as it intensifies regional contradictions,” Sørensen said. added. “But the solution lies not in the idea of national sovereignty, but in the class struggle against the bourgeoisie, whose aggressive policies are being carried out.”
Norway led the way.
Back in 2022, Norway’s Parliament Stolting, dominated by the ruling coalition of Labor and the Center Party, approved the Additional Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA) between Norway and the United States, which was previously finalized by the conservative government led by Erna Solberg. did. In April 2021.
The agreement, signed on June 3, 2022, gave the US military the exclusive right to use the military airfields and airfields of Rygge, Sora and Evenes, as well as the Ramsund naval base. The agreement grants the United States unrestricted access to the area and also allows for the construction of military infrastructure.
The Lod (Red) Party and the Norwegian Communist Party (NKP) opposed the defense agreement and organized protests.
Scandinavia’s historical neutrality
Most Scandinavian countries, especially Sweden and Finland, have pursued a policy of neutrality toward the United States, the former Soviet Union, and later Russia since the beginning of the Cold War.
Finland and Sweden have long maintained formal neutrality, despite significant pressure from centrist and center-right parties to join NATO. However, the ongoing war in Ukraine has led to the rise of militarism and Russophobia in the region, and some within the Social Democratic Party have called for NATO membership and increased defense cooperation with the United States.
NATO has already expanded its military presence in the Baltic Sea region in the name of supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. These military brinkmanship policies of the United States and expansionist maneuvers of NATO aim to militarily encircle Russia and deplete its resources in the protracted conflict in Ukraine.