Relationship dossier
Denmark
Finland
Relationship assessment
Close Nordic partners with sustained cooperation on regional affairs and defence
Denmark toward Finland
+65Denmark participates with Finland in the Nordic Council and Nordic Defence Cooperation, supporting sustained cooperation on Nordic policy and defence. Denmark also cooperates with Finland as a NATO ally since Finland joined the alliance in 2023.
Finland toward Denmark
+65Finland participates with Denmark in the Nordic Council and Nordic Defence Cooperation, supporting sustained cooperation on Nordic policy and defence. Finland also cooperates with Denmark as a NATO ally since joining the alliance in 2023.
Overall relationship
+70The relationship rests on durable Nordic institutions and practical defence cooperation, reinforced by both countries’ NATO membership. These arrangements support a close, sustained partnership, with no major bilateral dispute defining ties.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Denmark and Finland maintain a close partnership through long-standing Nordic cooperation and practical defence coordination. Both participate in the Nordic Council and Nordic Defence Cooperation, and they are allies in NATO following Finland’s accession in 2023. Their relationship is embedded in durable regional institutions, with no major bilateral dispute shaping the overall partnership.
Key developments
Denmark and Finland became parties to the Helsinki Treaty, establishing a framework for Nordic cooperation.
Finland joined NATO, becoming an ally of Denmark.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of additional bilateral defence arrangements and their implementation is unclear.
- The scale of current bilateral cooperation beyond Nordic and NATO frameworks is unclear.