Application of realism to the analysis of the security of the Nordic states

Northern Europe has long enjoyed the image of a stable and secure region. The Nordic states systematically limited their defense potential by reducing its numbers. Military spending was also gradually reduced. There has been a reorientation of the Nordics security policy towards international peace missions and an adjustment to expeditionary defense. However, the events of the first two decades of the 21st century proved that the period of relative harmony in Europe and the world had ended. Changes in the international security environment, caused by events such as the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001, the war in Georgia in 2008 or the armed conflict in Ukraine in 2014, are among the reasons for redefining the goals of the Nordic countries' security policy. Moreover, the changing geopolitical situation influenced the decision to include security issues in Nordic cooperation. Currently, these states have prioritized military security and have decided to adopt a more coordinated security policy. For these reasons, the theory of realism is a useful tool for studying the security of the Nordic states.