Recommendation 102

The UK, along with other members, must adapt their strategic doctrines to apply the security guarantees under Article 5 to the two Arctic states. Mr Lapsley told us that the consequence of Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO is that the Arctic is now becoming more like any other part of NATO’s area of operations, and an area in which the Alliance might be tested militarily: “The assumption that it would be a backwater, that it would not be part of an overall conflict, is one that we and the Arctic nations now feel much less confident about now.” 126 UK capabilities and defence contribution in the High North