After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both Nordic countries joined NATO: Finland in 2023 and Sweden in 2024.
On Saturday, NATO ground forces began operations aimed at strengthening the defense around Sweden and Finland, which are the newest members of the Alliance, AFP reported, writes TASR.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both Nordic countries abandoned decades of military non-commitment and joined NATO: Finland in 2023 and Sweden a year later.
Strategic location
The area around these two countries is part of NATO’s northeastern wing and, according to the statement of US General Alex Grynkewich, the supreme commander of NATO’s allied forces in Europe, it is also “one of the most strategically and environmentally challenging areas in the world”.
Sweden and Finland lie on the Baltic Sea, which is used by Russian warships bound for St. Petersburg or the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. AFP recalled that Finland, which neighbors Russia, fought two wars against the Soviet Union during World War II.
Creation of a new unit
In 2024, as part of the Forward Land Forces (FLF) initiative, the NATO alliance decided to create a new multinational military unit in Finland. The unit, which began operations on Saturday, also includes a Swedish battle group.
NATO also has similar ground troops in Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
