Finland has prepared for decades for a Russian attack and will put up strong resistance if it occurs, the head of its armed forces said.
The Nordic country has built up a substantial arsenal. But in addition to military equipment, General Timo Kivinen said, a crucial factor is that the Finns would be motivated to fight.
“The most important line of defense is between the ears, as the war in Ukraine at the moment proves,” Kivinen said in an interview.
Finland fought two wars in the 1940s against its eastern neighbour, with which it shares a 1,300 km (810 mi) border.
Once a non-aligned country, it is now applying to join the NATO military alliance due to concerns that Russia might invade as Ukraine did on February 24.
Since World War II, Helsinki has maintained a high level of military preparedness.
“We systematically developed our military defense precisely for this type of war that is being fought there (in Ukraine), with massive use of firepower, armored forces and also air forces,” Kivinen said.
“Ukraine has been a tough bite to chew (for Russia) and Finland too.”
About 100,000 Finns were killed during the two wars that Finland fought against the Soviet Union and lost a tenth of its territory.
The nation of 5.5 million people has a wartime troop strength of around 280,000, with 870,000 trained as reservists. It did not abolish military conscription for men, as many other Western nations did after the end of the Cold War.
It also built one of the strongest artillery in Europe and stockpiled cruise missiles with a range of up to 370 km (230 mi). It spends 2% of its GDP on defence, a level higher than many NATO countries.
It is ordering four new warships as well as 64 F-35 fighter jets from US defense giant Lockheed Martin LMT.N.
It plans to order up to 2,000 drones, its own high-altitude anti-aircraft equipment and is building barriers on its border with Russia.
About 82% of respondents to a May 18 survey by the Ministry of Defense said they would be willing to participate in national defense if Finland were attacked.
Still, Kivinen welcomed Finland’s decision to apply for NATO membership. Finland and Sweden, the Nordic country, are in talks with Turkey to discuss the latter’s opposition to their candidacy.
Joining NATO would allow Finland to increase its early warning capability by being part of the alliance’s joint control of airspace, Kivinen said.
Finland would also benefit from deterrence from being part of an alliance in which an attack on one member is an attack on all its members, he said.
However, he said, “the main responsibility for the defense of Finland will still lie with Finland”.
Source: CNN Brasil
