Aland's peaceful legacy challenged by heightened regional tensions

As tensions rise in the Baltic region, the demilitarized status of the Åland Islands—a small archipelago crucial for Finland's trade and security—has come under scrutiny.

“Everything has become more intense,” reflects Juri Jalava as his coastguard cutter navigates the waters of the Åland Islands. Heightened tensions with Russia mean he is spending more time at sea than ever: “We do not want to be caught out.” The Åland Islands, comparable in size to Skye and surrounded by 7,000 islets and rocks, present a complex issue for Finland, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media. 

Over 95 per cent of the country’s trade and vital data and electricity cables to Europe pass through or near these islands. However, a treaty obligates Finland to keep these Swedish-speaking islands demilitarized during peacetime, a status established since the Crimean War when Britain and France sought to disrupt Russian trade in the Baltic. 

With Finnish forces prohibited from training or storing arms on the islands, security experts are concerned about potential unpreparedness. Russia would need to capture Åland to dominate the Baltic in any conflict with the West. Following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Sweden remilitarized nearby Gotland, and Russian troops have practiced seizing both islands. “Why should we leave this hole in our defences that benefits only Russia?” questions Pekka Toveri, a former head of Finnish military intelligence.

He fears a small Russian contingent could interfere with NATO reinforcements headed for Finland. Kjell Torner, who once led the rapid response force for Åland, expresses concerns about undercover agents causing disruptions, asserting there are weapons in the cellar of Åland’s Russian consulate. “It just makes life so much more difficult,” says an official involved in the island's defense planning. Another warns that the Russians may be poised to sever the cables around Åland. Reopening long-standing agreements could lead to complications, warns Matti Pesu from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. 

Russia, which is a party to two treaties imposed on Finland after its defeat in 1940 and 1947, would likely oppose any changes. “Would it not be more dangerous to start ripping up international treaties?” questions Mats Lofstrom, a local MP. In front of the clapboard Russian consulate, a group of about two dozen pensioners protesting the war in Ukraine unanimously opposed the remilitarization of Åland. “It makes us safer,” stated Sonja Nordenswan. 

By Naila Huseynova