Finland bolsters military ties with US after Putin warning
- US to gain access to military bases and training areas in Finland, the latest country to have joined Nato
- Finland gave up its decades-old position of neutrality following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Finland signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation with the United States, saying it saw a long-term threat from Russia, a day after its giant neighbour issued a warning over Helsinki’s recent entrance into Nato.
The Defence Cooperation Agreement formalises greater ties with the United States, including joint training of forces and military interoperability, in line with Finland’s accession to the Atlantic alliance in April.
It gives the US military access to 15 military bases and training areas in Finland.
Signing the agreement on Monday in Washington with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen hailed it as a “strong sign of US commitment to the defence of Finland and the whole northern Europe”.
“We do not expect the United States to take care of the defence of Finland. We continue to invest in our defence and share the burden in our area and beyond,” he said.