Finland may host troops from multiple NATO countries - Defense Minister
Photo: Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Defense of Finland (Getty Images)
Finland is in talks with several NATO countries about deploying their soldiers in the country. This possibility exists even in the absence of a real military threat, according to Finland's Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen.
The official commented on the information about the deployment of Norwegian and Swedish troops in the Lapland province. According to him, the negotiations on this issue involved not only the Nordic countries.
"We do not publicly comment on these negotiations on behalf of the Ministry of Defense. They are being conducted with several different countries. We are negotiating which countries could allocate specific military structures to ensure Finland's security," Häkkänen emphasized.
He clarified that the goal is to have NATO troops stationed in Finland in crisis situations. This does not only imply the threat of war.
"It is about situations where there is no real military threat, but there is a tense atmosphere, as provided by Article 5 (on collective defense -ed.)," the official explained.
In particular, in response to a tense atmosphere on the border, Finland may begin military exercises with allies. At the same time, foreign troops will not be stationed in Finland on a permanent basis.
Häkkänen mentioned that the issue will continue to be discussed in the fall and winter. It will also be raised at the meeting of NATO defense ministers, which will take place in February 2025.
What preceded
At the beginning of August, the head of the defense committee of the Swedish parliament, Peter Hultqvist, stated that his country intends to deploy its soldiers in the Finnish province of Lapland, which borders Russia.
He emphasized that such a move would be a strong signal to the Kremlin.
