Sarah Ingham: Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO is a timely reminder that freedom is not free
Sarah Ingham is the author of Military Union: its impact on civil-military relations in Britain.
When Victory Day was celebrated on Monday in Moscow, the Minister of Defense reminded us in London that “freedom is not free”.
The words are engraved on the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, the three-year conflict that began in 1950 under the auspices of the United Nations.
More than 90,000 British troops served in Korea, including national troops, along with Americans and personnel from 20 other nations. The Battle of the Imjin River was undoubtedly the fiercest that the British Army fought in the second half of the century.
In November last year, Boris Johnson sent a message to the annual gathering at the UN Memorial Cemetery in the port city of Busan, where the newly discovered remains of three unidentified British soldiers were buried with military honors:
“On the banks of the Imjin River, 70 years ago, British and South Korean troops fought side by side against the forces of tyranny. And today, just as we did then, Britain stands with you for peace, prosperity and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
Among the allies killed in action were more than 40,000 Americans and 1,100 British soldiers. Korea was the first major armed conflict during the Cold War, the great ideological battle between the Communist East and the capitalist, liberal and democratic West.
Or was it?
At Monday’s Defense of Europe conference, hosted by King’s College London’s School of Security Studies and Reaction, historian Niall Ferguson suggested that the Second Cold War be under way. Once again, it is a battle between the world’s two superpowers – this time between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.
“In this second Cold War, China is a senior partner and Russia is a junior partner.” According to Ferguson’s framework, the conflict in Ukraine is the mirror image of Korea: the first hot war in our new Cold War. If this thesis is correct, it is dangerous times.
In recent weeks, Sweden’s and Finland’s membership of NATO has gone from possible to probable to almost definitive, a seismic shift from both countries’ traditional freedom of alliance.
With a 800 km long land border with Russia, Finland is particularly vulnerable to all attacks from Moscow. A survey for YLE this week showed that 76 percent of Finns now want to join the alliance, up from 60 percent in March. Until recently, support for membership rarely reached 30 percent.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister signed new security agreements with Stockholm and Helsinki and promised Britain’s help in conventional, cyber or hybrid attacks. Improved intelligence sharing is planned as part of a “step change in defense and security cooperation”. Moscow will no doubt be aware that Britain is retaining its nuclear deterrent.
Given their first-class defense capabilities, both Sweden and Finland will be warmly welcomed by NATO. Both already have close ties with the alliance and participate in joint military exercises, training and operations, leading to their forces being interoperable with other members.
Cooperation intensified after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and then gained renewed momentum after the invasion of Ukraine in February.
When it comes to maintaining conscription, Finland is unusual in a Europe that has gone against completely voluntary forces. Apparently, the Finnish Armed Forces seems to be small, with less than 20,000 people.
However, three quarters of all men take up military service and then become reservists, which requires refresher training of at least 80 days a year. Consequently, there is a reserve of 238,000.
Military balance 2022published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, indicates that while the Finnish army consists of 13,400 soldiers – or only 4,400 if the 9,000 conscripts are excluded – it maintains a mobilization force of 285,000. There is also a border guard of 2,700, with 12 000 reservists on standby.
“You are the best person to defend our country.” IN Conscription 2020sent to young people to take up national service, Finland is clear with the collective responsibility:
“Independence and secure conditions for our citizens must be maintained – that is what Finland has fought for in previous wars. As a conscript, you are an important part of our national defense. ”
In 2020, more than 80 per cent of Finns under the age of 25 supported military service, according to the annual survey by the Riksdag’s Council for Defense Information. International terrorism and the refugee crisis were then the main concerns.
More men than women supported national service, which is still voluntary for women. Last year, however, a record number of people applied to serve their country. This number will certainly increase with pictures of grandmothers in Ukraine taking up arms.
By invoking previous wars, Finland exploits the feelings expressed by the immortal regiment, the families of the Russians who died in the Great Patriotic War and other conflicts. It underscores the power of war and sacrifice in shaping a nation and creating a collective identity.
While at the Victory Day Parade in Red Square, Ben Wallace spoke at the National Army Museum in Chelsea. He accused the Kremlin of hijacking history and using the heroic sacrifices made during the Great Patriotic War to justify the attack on Ukraine.
The former Scottish Guard officer gave an insightful critique of Russia’s military performance in Ukraine, highlighting the officers’ neglect of duty, in particular the absence of leadership among the General Staff.
While the Russian forces showed “moral decay”, the Ukrainian forces – including militias, women and minorities – showed the power of the “moral component”, which includes not only weapons and leadership, but the will to fight and to win.
Today, those who defend Ukraine, like the Russians who fought the Nazis in the 1940s and all those who are ready to defend Finland, are a reminder that one day every British citizen can have a role to play in this country’s defense – and that freedom and security is not free.