As part of the negotiated bilateral Finnish-US agreement, the conditions for the presence of US troops on Finnish territory are defined, e.g. In connection with military maneuvers or storage of ammunition and weapons. No arrangements have been officially announced yet. Probably – experts say – the American armed forces will be given one of the Finnish airports and a port at their disposal.
– Will every European country want to fulfill its obligation in a situation where everyone is surprised and nobody is prepared? – Niinisto said in Helsinki during the meeting of the Association of Political Journalists. He referred to European defense capabilities and the war in Ukraine.
Media: US Forces in the Arctic Circle
According to the daily “Iltalehti”, in Finland, the US Air Force will be provided with an airport and infrastructure above the Arctic Circle, which is used on a daily basis by the Lapland squadron of F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. The base in Rovaniemi will receive the first of 64 new F-35 fighters bought by Finland, which will gradually replace older Hornets from 2026.
In practice, the DCA agreement refers to the establishment of US bases and the permanent or rotational presence of US troops – “IL” writes, indicating that an attack on Finland would then be an attack on the US. The daily recalled President Joe Biden’s visit to Helsinki in July and the US leader’s words that the US was committed to protecting every inch of the alliance, including Finnish territory.
A Finnish-US defense cooperation agreement was discussed between the countries before Finland decided to join NATO in the spring of 2022 – in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Negotiations on the DCA are expected to be completed early next year, after which the agreement will go to the Finnish parliament for approval.
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