Finland joined NATO in April 2023. A year later, Sweden joined it.
Russia and the countries that support it will remain a danger to Europe even after the end of the war in Ukraine, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen declared on Thursday during the presentation of a new report on the country’s defense policy.
“Russia, together with its allies, will remain a dangerous actor in Europe even after the war in Ukraine, and we cannot rule out that it will threaten European states with the use of military force,” Hakkanen declared. He also called deepening cooperation between Russia, North Korea, Iran and China a long-term risk.
Reuters reminds that the common border between Finland and Russia is 1,300 kilometers long. After the country’s accession to NATO, the borders between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance also expanded significantly.
Finland joined NATO in April 2023. A year later, neighboring Sweden joined. Both previously neutral countries did so because they feared for their security after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Defense Policy Report
On Thursday, the Finnish Ministry of Defense published the first report on the country’s defense policy since joining NATO. The report recommends that Finland focus on strengthening its defense as well as deterrence capabilities within NATO and intensify cooperation with allies in training military units.
According to Hakkanen, the main regional allies of Helsinki are Sweden, Norway, the USA, Great Britain and Estonia. He also highlighted cooperation with non-NATO member states South Korea, Israel and Japan in securing military equipment. Finland will continue to spend on defense at the level of two percent of GDP, as required by the alliance.
