Baltic Rim Economies 1/2026
Intelligence and foresight
Ukraine’s NATO & EU path unchanged
"After the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine made a choice that cannot be reversed — the path toward the European Union and NATO. This is not a slogan, but a strategic decision born of pain, experience, and the understanding that independence cannot exist without a system of security. The price of this choice has been extraordinarily high."
Valentyn Nalyvaichenko
Ex-Head of the SSU, MP
Secretary of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU
Ukraine
The strategic importance of Finland's neighboring regions and the growing security challenges
"Russia's brutal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led, to put it bluntly, to the withdrawal of Russian troops from this area, from our vicinity, more or less completely, with the exception of the Kaliningrad enclave, of course. From a purely military perspective the situation was excellent. The threat of Russia’s aggression against its neighbouring countries with traditional, conventional military means became quickly very unlikely."
Juha Vauhkonen
Rear Admiral (ret), Defence Command Chief of Intelligence (2021-2023)
Finland
The enduring value of secret intelligence
Human intelligence has always had survival value, to reduce ignorance of what might be over the hill, assessing whether the rustle in the trees ahead is most likely the hunters’ lunch or whether they will end up being a predator’s lunch. Also of proven value is secret intelligence – information that people who may mean harm do not want to be known, both concerning their hostile intentions and their capabilities to cause damage."
Sir David Omand
Visiting Professor
War Studies Department
King’s College London
United Kingdom
The Baltic Sea – A sea of war and peace
"Throughout history, the Baltic Sea has undeniably been of greater geopolitical importance than its size, and it remains at the heart of European security policy. The Baltic Sea has al-ways been a channel, not only for trade, but also for cooperation and cultural exchange. On the other hand, it is also a scene of competition, power struggles and conflicts."
Markku Pajuniemi
Colonel, Director
Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency (FDIA)
Finland
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