Finland wants to host NATO ground forces headquarters 100 km from border with Russia
Photo: Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Defense of Finland (Getty Images)
A NATO ground forces headquarters will appear in Northern Europe. It is planned to be located in Finland near the border with Russia, according to the Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen.
The decision to establish the new NATO ground forces headquarters is expected to be made by the defense ministers of the Alliance countries next year.
According to the Finnish Minister of Defense, the headquarters is proposed to be located in the Finnish city of Mikkeli, which is about 100 kilometers from the border with Russia.
He noted that the commander of the Finnish Defense Forces' ground forces will become the commander of the new headquarters.
Häkkänen believes that the new NATO ground forces headquarters should be established in Mikkeli, as the headquarters of the Finnish Defense Forces' ground forces is already located there. This will also facilitate effective planning for ground forces operations in the northern regions of the Alliance.
"Finland's national defense and NATO's defense must be able to cooperate seamlessly in normal and emergency situations," he added.
The personnel of the NATO ground forces headquarters during peacetime will consist of several dozen people.
"The message from Finland to Russia is that we are a full member of NATO, and NATO plays an extremely important role in Finland's defense... If there is any attempt to invade our territory, we will have the full might of the Alliance at our disposal," the Minister noted.
Background
In August, Finnish media reported that Finland wants to host a NATO armored brigade near the border with Russia, consisting of 4,000 to 5,000 personnel.
According to rumors, the new brigade is already being formed. It is planned to be stationed in the city of Mikkeli, located near the border with Russia.
