Scandinavian defence union

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The Scandinavian defence union was a historical idea to establish a military alliance between Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark after the end of World War II, but the idea did not come about when Denmark, Iceland and Norway joined NATO in 1949 at the request of the United States, while Finland and Sweden did not.

Historically, Finland had fought two wars against the Soviet Union, Denmark and Norway had been occupied by Germany between 1940 and 1945, and Sweden, having been a neutral state throughout the war, had still felt the effects on either side.

In the 2000s, military cooperation between the Nordic nations increased, especially through Nordefco. It has generally not been regarded as a mutual defence union, but since the 2010s an increasing number of defence agreements were implemented. In 2022, Finland and Sweden requested to join NATO.

The governments of the three Nordic NATO members released statements saying that they would use all necessary means in the defence of Finland and Sweden if they were attacked before they became members. Finland became a member of NATO on 4 April 2023 and Sweden on 7 March 2024.