Diplomacy Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Nordic Defence Review

Prime Minister Takaichi speaks in front of reporters during her first press conference as prime minister at the Prime Minister's Residence on 21 October 2025 (Image: Japanese Cabinet Secretariat)

Japan’s Christmas Gift to Ukraine: Tokyo Pledges €9 billion Support

In a surprise Christmas-timed boost to Kyiv, Japan has confirmed that it will send a substantial new package of financial support to Ukraine, combining fresh funding with accelerated repayment of G7 loans. The cumulative commitment is expected to total around $9 billion (€8.4 billion). Japan’s stance on Ukraine will not change, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae

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Visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon, Beirut, December 1st, 2025 (Image: Shutterstuck)

Vatican’s Role in War and Peace

Diplomacy, History

For more than a century, popes have attempted to influence the hard calculus of war: mobilisations, ceasefires, intelligence backchannels, nuclear thresholds and geopolitical realignments. Despite possessing no army, the Holy See has often functioned as a strategic mediator — a unique actor able to interact with military powers during crises when other channels were frozen.

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European Alarm Over U.S. “America First” Strategy

Diplomacy

U.S. President Trump’s new National Security Strategy (NSS), especially its leaked passages, has provoked sharp warnings from Europe’s leaders that it undercuts eight decades of transatlantic unity. The draft NSS singles out the European Union itself as a problem and even mentions forming a new “Core 5” of powers without EU members. It explicitly names

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The 1975 Helsinki Conference Planted the Seeds of a Revolution in Eastern Europe

Diplomacy, History

In the midst of Cold War détente, an unlikely diplomatic milestone took shape in Helsinki, Finland. From 30 July to 1 August 1975, 35 nations – every European country, except Albania, plus the United States and Canada – convened for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). The most dramatic manifestation of the

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INS Tamar during its trials. (Image: Screenshot from Indian Navy video / Indian Navy PR Department )

Indian Warship in the Baltic Sea: Signalling Support for Russia

Business, Diplomacy, Technology

In mid-July 2025, Finland’s navy was alerted to an unusual visitor: INS Tamal, a newly delivered Indian Navy frigate built in Russia, was transiting northern European waters. Finnish and Swedish maritime authorities confirmed Tamal reported it was bound for the Bothnian Bay, off Finland’s west coast. Finnish Navy spokesperson Commander Markus Malila emphasised the ship

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Economic War Before the Shooting Starts: The Unseen Taiwan Playbook

Diplomacy, Strategy

China has mastered a subtle blend of economic coercion and cyber grey-zone tactics aimed at undermining Taiwan’s resilience—without ever firing a shot. Yet Taiwan, aware of what might lie ahead, has devoted itself to an asymmetric defence strategy that complements its conventional armed forces. Meanwhile, the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Europe are each struggling with

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China Wants the War to Continue

Diplomacy, News

Beijing’s strategic calculus in Ukraine is no accident—it’s a multi-front investment. On 3 July 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stunned European counterparts behind closed doors in Brussels by stating bluntly that China “cannot afford to let Russia lose the war in Ukraine”, warning that if Russia collapses, the United States would be free to

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Trump’s Saudi Visit: $142 Billion Arms Bonanza and a Nuclear Gambit

Business, Diplomacy

Modernising its military and flexing its muscle in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has signed $142 billion worth of arms deals with the U.S. It’s also pledged to pour $600 billion into American investments over the next four years. The deals may open the door for defence firms from elsewhere — including Nordic companies —

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Trade Wars Batter Defence Industry – And Sometimes Lead to Real Wars

Diplomacy, Economic

The USA’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are a recurring pattern throughout history. These trade barriers have struck the defence industry hard, disrupting imports and exports. In 2024, American defence exports were valued at over $300 billion. Nations have long used trade barriers as instruments of power, and in some cases, these economic skirmishes have spiralled into

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Unexploded land mines and cluster bombs remains picked up all around Cambodia after war, now set in Museum of landmines in Siem Reap Cambodia. Huge amount of ammunition is still laying in countryside. (Image: Shutterstock)

Defence Over Diplomacy: Finland Reassesses Landmine Ban

Diplomacy, News, Politics

Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo declared that the nation intends to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have recently announced similar intentions, citing escalating security threats from Russia. “Withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention will allow us to prepare for changes in the security environment in

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