FINLAND and the United States will enhance their defence co-operation, President Sauli Niinistö announced following his meeting with US President Joe Biden in the White House, Washington DC, on Friday.
Niinistö refrained from shedding much light on the details and nature of the co-operation but revealed that it would continue in a way that also includes other Nordic countries.
“The long-standing co-operation in the sector of defence and security policy will be developed further,” he commented at the Finnish Embassy in Washington DC. “Without now itemising all of the proposals and initiatives that will be part of the discussion, we’ll be embarking on a clear process to increase defence and security co-operation.”
“Finland has clearly nudged toward close co-operation with the United States,” said Niinistö.
The meeting, he also revealed, made it “very clear” that the open-door policy of Nato will continue and is valued by the US. “There’s no question as to whether the membership criteria are met by Finland.”
Niinistö stopped short of stating anything unequivocal about the possibility of joining the defence alliance or initiating a fast-track accession process. Even the fast-track process, he gauged, would necessitate ratification by all member states and would thus be contingent on the unique parliamentary procedures of each member state.
“It may be difficult to have any influence on that if this were the approach taken.”
Niinistö and Biden on Friday primarily discussed the security situation in Finland, the Nordics and Europe in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Niinistö conceded that there are not many new remedies that could be pursued in order to bring the conflict to an end.
“Russia’s attack has in fact resulted in Europe coming together and the transatlantic relationship becoming even closer,” he said. “This [sense of working toward a common goal] in the west has probably also surprised Putin.”
Elsewhere, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced the two countries are increasing their co-operation in the field of defence policy.
“Close co-operation with Finland makes us stronger in this very unusual situation,” Andersson stated at a joint press conference in Helsinki on Saturday. “Our countries aren’t under direct threat,” added Marin, “but it’s clear that we have to examine our security together, share our analyses and enhance our co-operation.”
Iltalehti on Saturday wrote, citing unnamed sources, that the two countries are seeking to establish themselves as so-called major non-Nato allies in the eyes of the US.