Danish MP Reading of NSA Call with Nordic Countries on Security & Russian Issues

On January 4, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with his counterparts from the five Nordic countries to consult on ways to strengthen transatlantic security.

Mr. Sullivan and his counterparts discussed their readiness to impose severe consequences on Russia if it engages in further aggression against Ukraine. They also underscored the importance of diplomacy to de-escalate the situation, including through the Strategic Stability Dialogue, NATO-Russia Council, and OSCE.

They emphasized their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Mr. Sullivan commended the Nordic countries’ commitment to the values and principles that underpin European security. Participants reaffirmed the right of each country to choose its alliances.

Countries participating in today’s call were Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

White House in Arabic (WHiA.US) platform, pursuing its goal to build bridges between the United States and the cross Atlantic countries, reached out to the member of the Danish Parliament, member of the Foreign Committee, former chairman of the Danish Defense Committee, Mr.Naser Khader.

Danish MP Khader expressed his view and expectation in response to Mr. Sullivan’s meeting with his counterparts from the five Nordic countries.

MP Khader is addressing President Biden‘s administration with the following letter, via the WHiA platform:

Beginning of letter

“It was a clever move for Sullivan to highlight the readiness to impose severe consequences on Russia if it engages in further aggression against Ukraine. Only days later, President Biden said the same thing, and the Nordics like to be treated as the strong allies that we are.

Sullivan’s meeting bolstered the Biden administration’s close relationship with the Nordic countries. The Danish Prime Minister, in her New Year’s address, said Denmark continues to stand firm on our values and will strengthen our security together with the US and our other allies in NATO. Both Finland’s president and prime minister used their New Year addresses to underscore that the country’s strong relationship with the US and reserved the option of seeking NATO membership at any time. The US relationship with the Nordics is very, very strong these days, and I think that’s a good thing.

Sullivan also underscored the importance of diplomacy to de-escalate the situation, including through NATO and the OSCE. But to think that a better relationship with Russia can happen through NATO or OSCE is very naive. For President Putin, NATO is a very bad reminder of the 1990s, Russian weakness, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Everything he disgusts.

I think the Nordics, but especially Finland and the Baltic countries, on the other side of the Baltic Sea, have been gravely concerned by the development in Ukraine, and, until recently, less with China’s aggressive approach towards Hong Kong and Taiwan. That has changed since the Lithuanian government let the Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, bear the name Taiwan, instead of Taipei, which most other countries use to avoid offending the Chinese communists.

The U.S. of course sided with Lithuania, and as I see, this is an open invitation to Russia to mend its relationship with Lithuania and the other Baltic and Nordic countries and focus more on the great powers’ competition for Eurasia.

I assume the Nordic countries, and especially the three Baltic countries, is somewhat disappointed that the Biden administration hasn’t been more convincing to President Putin that bullying Russia’s neighbors is counterproductive. I think they all know that the real enemy is China. To win the race for Eurasia, the US, EU, and Russia should rather build an alliance against China than intimidate each other. That starts of course with better a better relationship than today.

In that light, it’s good for Denmark and the other Nordic and Baltic countries that Biden recently had teleconferences with Putin. Russia will of course continue to be very sensitive to the presence of strong actors near its borders but if we can present Putin with safeguards regarding NATO’s expansion, I think Biden can reach a productive understanding with Russia including even an alliance against the communists in China whose clear goal is hegemony in East Asia, which we all, also Russia, must prevent”.

End of letter.

By Naser, Khader

Member of the Danish Parliament, member of the Foreign Committee, former chairman of the Danish Defense Committee.