A changed world : A Comparative Case Study of Sweden’s and Finland’s Security Policy after Russia’s Annexation of the Crimean Peninsula

Since Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula 2014, the security policy for many European countries have changed. The Russian aggression in Ukraine have led to a shifted view on security policy in both Sweden and Finland. This case study will focus on Sweden and Finland, both members of the EU however not members of Nato. The case study will not compare the two nations, it will rather compare each nation’s change over time. This case study aims to explain how Sweden’s and Finland’s security policy has changed since the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, by using Allison’s and Zelikow’s Rational Actor and Governmental Politics models, to explain the change. By analyzing documents of Swedish and Finnish governments, it should be possible to see differences over time. The study shows that the security threat has changed after 2014, mainly due to the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The big difference in Sweden is that the threat has increased since 2014, and the security goal for Finland has increased. Above all, Sweden is trying to strengthen bi- and multilateral relations with other countries, meanwhile Finland is trying to influence GUSP and the EU to play a greater roll in European security policy.