Nordic countries to work towards common defence deal

OSLO, Nov 12 - The Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland will work towards establishing a common defence deal in order to boost NATO's overall ability to deter and defend, the region's defence ministers said on Thursday.

The nations have all been NATO members since Finland and Sweden joined the military alliance in 2023 and 2024, and have worked since then to improve their cooperation, for instance by conducting joint military and civilian preparedness exercises.

"This agreement will enable closer cooperation between us and enhance deterrence and defence in our region and beyond," Norway's Defence Minister Tore Sandvik told reporters alongside his Nordic counterparts in Oslo.

One particular challenge highlighted by the countries' military leaderships has been the need to harmonise laws and regulations, for instance when it comes to moving military personnel and equipment across borders.

"NATO forces have to be able to easily move between countries, supplies have to get to where they are needed, and the forces have to fight as one," said Sandvik.

The move is the latest example of how the Nordic countries are stepping up their defence preparedness, spooked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and uncertainty over the United States as NATO's ultimate security backstop.

"Sweden and Finland coming in gives us opportunities to strengthen also the Nordic element of NATO, to move troops around ... and do joint exercises and command systems," Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus told Reuters.

All have steeply increased their defence budgets and are among the top defence spenders per capita in NATO.

Norway and Finland share a land border with Russia.

All of the Nordics are strong backers of Ukraine in its war with Russia. The region has seen a spate of incidents, including drone intrusions, cables and pipelines being sabotaged, that have increased security concerns.

Russia has consistently denied it poses a threat to its Nordic neighbours and regards accusations that it does so as scaremongering. REUTERS