Finland to increase defense spending “whether or not it joins NATO”

Finland puts the country’s defense at the forefront, whether or not it joins NATO’s defense alliance, according to Finance Minister Annika Saarikko.

According to Bloomberg, Finland, which has a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, has begun reconsidering its long-term stance on staying out of NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although the scale of the attack came as a surprise, Finland was not surprised, Saarikko said.

“We have always recognized the geographical realities and ensured that our defenses are resilient,” she said in an interview. “Finland’s defense is always the first priority.”

Parliament began this week examining a “white paper” on security submitted by the government, which is expected to pave the way for an application for NATO membership within weeks. The debate has not gone unnoticed in Russia, which has repeatedly warned Finland and Sweden against joining the Western Alliance.

Parliament should have time to consider the issue carefully “because it has to endure the passage of time,” Saarikko said. “It is not enough to support NATO membership this spring. One must be able to say that it is the right decision next spring and next spring, and that is why careful consideration is needed.”

Nevertheless, her personal attitude is clear. “My Finland is an open, Western democracy belonging to the European Union, and joining NATO would be a very natural step,” Saarikko said.

The country of 5.5 million has a reserve of 900,000 troops and is able to deploy 280,000 of them in time of war. He has insisted on a conscription-based system, where most men and some women undergo military training lasting six months to a year. Its military equipment is NATO-compatible, and the country decided in December to buy 64 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets as part of a € 10 billion supply.

This month, the government unveiled its plan for more than € 2 billion in additional defense spending, mainly on arms and training, which represents an increase of about 70% from the Nordic country’s regular military budget for 2022. The space meets the 2% of GDP limit for NATO spending.

“Finland’s decision to significantly increase defense spending is independent of any decision to join NATO” and “will be made under all circumstances,” Saarikko said.

Sweden is also weighing in on the benefits of joining the defense bloc, with Foreign Minister Ann Linde saying on Thursday that it would need to speed up the review in mid-May to keep pace with Finland. Sweden’s long-term plan is to increase funding for the armed forces by almost 30% from 2021 to 2024.

According to a recent poll, 84% of Finns believe that Russia poses a significant military threat and are almost unanimous in saying that their neighbor is “unstable and unpredictable”, while only 2% say they do not agree with this description. Russia in the poll.

“This situation reminds us how wise it was to secure defense already in more stable times,” Saarikko said. “We do not need to make up for lost money, as some other countries should.”