Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen opened up on Thursday in connection with the NATO Defense Ministers' Meeting what hopes Finland has expressed for NATO's presence. In addition to the ground staff, the hope is for the staff functions of the advanced troops.
Brussels
Finland has informed NATO of his views on how NATO's presence in Finland could be seen in the future, the Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen (kok) said on Thursday in connection with the NATO defense ministers' meeting.
Finland is ready, among other things, to host the sub-staff of the ground forces under the Norfolk Joint Operations Command.
Finland aims in addition to this for the headquarters functions of NATO's forward forces.
Häkkänen stated that Finland has no need for permanent NATO combat units.
These have been deployed in the alliance's eight eastern member states in recent years in response to Russia's military actions in Ukraine.
There would, however, be a need for a NATO structure that would facilitate the arrival and management of forces training and fighting in real situations.
“This could mean the headquarters part of efp-type forces stationed in Finland and related permanent and continuous exercises for those forces that could, if necessary, act as reinforcement forces for us, if the security situation so requires and demands,” Häkkänen said.
For now, Häkkänen did not reveal what size the unit might be.
The planning will continue together with NATO.
“We must ensure such mechanisms that the alliance's defense plans can be ensured in all situations, and Finland, as a NATO country, cannot be put under military pressure in different situations either.”
NATO the new command structure is currently being negotiated as part of a wider whole, where the deterrence and defense of the military alliance is strengthened.
Decisions are to be made, at least partially, by the summit in Washington in July.
The Nordic countries have expressed their desire to belong together under the leadership ladder of Norfolk, which is located in the United States.
There has already been a discussion under Norfolk about the sub-staffs of the land, sea and air forces.
However, Norfolk's staff is young and needs to be strengthened to take on a new large area.
At the moment, Finland belongs to the leadership ladder located in Brunssum, the Netherlands.
Häkkänen did not start guessing how likely Finland's wish to host the ground forces sub-staff will come true.
“If you look at the map now, of course, it will certainly raise questions about the fact that competence and focus on land forces is quite strongly connected to Finland.”
Sweden has already publicly expressed its desire to host the naval headquarters.
In the end, it's all about the joint decision of the federation, Häkkänen emphasized.
“If there are any better alternatives, we will accept them. They may not have been announced yet. I believe that Finland has a reasonable chance of progressing in this matter.”
Third Finland expressed its views to NATO regarding intelligence and surveillance systems.
As NATO expands to the north, it must ensure that the intelligence capability in the region also works.
According to Häkkänen, Finland has expressed to NATO that it can offer its expertise and capabilities in this field.
When asked, he did not reveal exactly what this would mean. Häkkänen mentioned, among other things, the “facilities and functions” that Finland could offer.
At the NATO meeting there was a discussion not only about strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense, but also, among other things, about strengthening the defense industry and supporting Ukraine.
At the meeting, they also spoke about who is running for the presidency of the United States again Donald Trump's recent talks about the fact that the United States would not defend those allies who do not invest in their defense the proportion according to the NATO goal.
According to new data published during the meeting, 18 countries are now on track to reach the goal of a two percent share of GDP this year, which is seven more countries than in the previous published statistics.
Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg described the development as historic. The combined budgets of NATO's European countries now reach two percent for the first time.
Stoltenberg said that NATO now has “a good story to tell”, pointing out that spending is increasing. For many years, criticism has been justified, he said.
Häkkänen said that when looking at the security situation in the long term, we may have to invest in defense even more than at present.
Last summer in Vilnius, NATO modified its defense allocation target slightly so that two percent is the minimum.
“In my opinion, two percent is not enough in the long term, and that's the way the speech and spirit are. But for the meeting in Washington, the minimum is that the European countries strive to get the rest of this two percent,” Häkkänen said.
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