Russia-Ukraine Dialogues: The road to NATO for Sweden and Finland

This week’s panel of LSE IDEAS’ Russia-Ukraine Dialogues answers the following questoins: What are the steps involved for Finland and Sweden for becoming NATO members?  How will NATO membership impact on their defense and security?  What value will these future members add to NATO’s defense? How will Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership alter their relations with Russia? These and more questions will be discussed on this week’s LSE IDEAS Russia-Ukraine Dialogue. 

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 The webinar was held on 24 May 2022.

Meet the speakers and chair

Karin Enström is a member of Swedish Parliament, the Riksdag, representing the Moderate Party. Ms Enström is Chair of the Swedish Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Chair of the Committee on the Constitution and Deputy Member of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs. Between 2012 and 2014, Ms Enström served as the Swedish Minister for Defence. Ms Enström served as the Chair of the Swedish Defence Commission in 2008-2012. Ms Enström has held several positions at the Riksdag since 1998, including Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2010-2012), Member of the Committee on Defence (2002-2010) and various positions (including Chair) on the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence (1999-2010).

Jukka Siukosaari is Ambassador of Finland to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Leon Hartwell is the Sotirov Fellow at LSE IDEAS and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Washington D.C. His research interests include conflict resolution, genocide, transitional justice, diplomacy, democracy, and the Western Balkans. Previously, Hartwell was CEPA’s Acting Director of the Transatlantic Leadership Program and a Title VIII Fellow.  From 2012 to 2013, he was also the Senior Policy Advisor for Political and Development Cooperation at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Zimbabwe, where his work included government and civil society engagement, political reporting, peace building projects, and supporting human rights defenders. In 2019, Hartwell completed a joint doctoral degree summa cum laude at Leipzig University (Germany) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). His thesis analyzed the use of mediation in the resolution of armed conflicts.