politics
Exercise North:
Cooperation is Crucial for Safety in The Arctic: "We Cannot Do This Alone"
Bodø (High North News): Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bjerregaard believes the Nordic countries is in a vulnerable situation, pointing to Russian pressure and limited resources as key challenges for Nordic preparedness.
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"The situation is more tense than it has been for many, many years."
That's what Thomas Bjerregaard, deputy commander of the Northern Military Region, says about the security situation in the Nordics.
He points out that Russia is still tied up in Ukraine, but that in the long term, Russia will be able to focus more attention on the northern areas again.
"Russia is occupied in Ukraine now, but when they hopefully withdraw, they will again have the opportunity to focus on our region", he adds.
Bjerregaard points to the Kola Peninsula as a strategic core area for Russia and as a driving force for increased pressure in the north.
There is a lot we need to do
"It's about the survival of the nation. One way Russia protect this area is by extending their defence, at the expense of our territories, to prevent NATO from influencing the Kola region.
Much remains
Bjerregaard emphasises that much work remains to strengthen Nordic cooperation going forward.
"There is a lot we need to do. First, we must identify what and in which areas there are opportunities for cooperation, and what we have the ability to influence", he says.
At the same time, he reminds us that the Nordic region consists of three independent states, which sets natural limits on how far cooperation can go.
"There are not all areas we can synchronise. We must find the areas we can work in, and then find forms of cooperation there."
Resources and infrastructure
The lack of resources and limited infrastructure is, in his opinion, the greatest challenge for Nordic crisis management.
"We all agree that we want to cooperate, but today we do not have sufficient resources individually to handle certain tasks."
"When we have to pool resources that already have challenges covering national needs, we encounter problems. Then we must find new ways to work", he says.
He particularly highlights healthcare preparedness as an area where the Nordic region must think more innovatively.
"We must be prepared to move the injured and sick away from the region to safe areas in Europe, to be able to concentrate on saving lives in the first instance", he says.
"We cannot do it alone"
For Northern Sweden, he believes that strengthening transport infrastructure and equipment is most urgent in today's threat landscape.
"It can happen very quickly when something first occurs. What we do not have in our hands will not be available when we really need it", says Bjerregaard.
He describes the cooperation between the Norwegian and Swedish home guard as very positive.
"There is cooperation from the lowest level, with companies and battalions training together and learning from each other. And at the regional level, we are actively working to coordinate more clearly."
Ultimately, Bjerregaard believes that Nordic security stands and falls on one thing:
"Cooperation, one hundred percent cooperation. We cannot do this alone", he states.
