From Regional Forums to NATO Alignment: Institutional Adaptation in the Context of Sweden and Finland’s Accession
Journal: Međunarodna politika
Year: 2025

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 reshaped the foundations of European security.In response, Sweden and Finland abandoned decades of military nonalignment and transitioned towards NATO membership.This paper examines how, during the accession process (2022-2023), Finland and Sweden strategically reframed existing regional institutions, such as NORDEFCO, the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy, NATO-EU coordination mechanisms, and Nordic-Baltic forums, into instruments of political in