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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Soviet Union
Index
The central factor in Scandinavian relations with the Soviet
Union is the proximity of Norway, Sweden, and Finland to major
Soviet bases on the Kola Peninsula
(see
fig. 6). Besides Turkey,
Norway is the only NATO country bordering the Soviet Union.
The interrelated Soviet objectives in Scandinavia have been to
maintain freedom of navigation through the Baltic Sea into the
North Sea, sustain the neutrality of Finland and Sweden, and
encourage Norway, Denmark, and Iceland to withdraw from NATO. The
Scandinavian states act to minimize the Soviet security threat
through a mix of military preparedness and nonprovocative,
accommodationist policies. Norway, Denmark, and Sweden do not allow
the stationing of foreign troops, the establishment of foreign
military bases, or the installation of nuclear weapons on their
territory. Sweden's neutrality has been based on the concept of
total national defense, which stresses involvement of the civilian
population, as well as military forces, in defending territorial
integrity. Since the 1970s, Sweden has been concerned about
repeated Soviet submarine incursions into its territorial waters.
Finland's "positive neutrality" is based on a special relationship
with the Soviet Union codified in their 1948 Treaty of Mutual
Assistance and Cooperation.
Data as of May 1989
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