Conclusions: Everything in NATO and the relations between its European member states depends on continued U S armed forces engagement in their defence against Russia. Even if Russia has demonstrated weaknesses in their armed forces that will be very hard to address without extensive political and economic changes, the last months have highlighted how important the American contribution remain. It is not meaningful to have any discussion of the structure that is to mirror and define the mutual roles and cooperation without clarifying the assumptions on that contribution. Without a US intent to support the defence of the Baltic States with strong air power deployed to Northern Europe, the game is still open in spite of Russian limitations. The Western planning for if and how to deal with the Russian bases and forces in Kola and Kaliningrad that define the operational problems in the Arctic and Baltic areas is to be decided by the US. Swedish and Danish choices that will define the mutual relationship and interdependence between their defence situation and cooperation is to be limited by decisions of others.

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