HELSINKI – Top Finnish defense officials are moving closer to finalizing proposals aimed at reviving the country’s NATO membership. One important consideration, which may require changes to the Finnish Constitution, concerns the hosting of alliance forces on Finnish territory.
The Ministry of Defense here is currently assessing proposals and reports from the military, the Finnish Armed Forces, which outline the challenges and investments related to NATO integration.
The Defense Ministry is expected to submit a final report with recommendations to Finland’s conservative-right government by the end of 2024.
“There have been no decisions on this yet,” said General Janne Jaakkola, the newly appointed commander of the FDF. “We are considering several options regarding whether the new partnership should include extended exercises, a rotational model or some other type of activity.”
Finland has a border of 1,340 kilometers with Russia, the longest of any NATO member state.
The government is investigating what constitutional changes may be necessary to allow a permanent presence of NATO allies on its territory. Given the allied nature of Finnish politics, any necessary constitutional change is likely to receive support from lawmakers.
In drawing up their proposals, the Ministry of Defense and the FDF take into account the plans being formalized by NATO to upgrade and reorganize its command structure. The changes will affect how Allied forces will operate in Finland in the future.
For now, Helsinki appears to be in no rush to request NATO troops as the country works to strengthen its national defense capabilities and industries.
“The current system is optimized for national defense,” Jaakola said. “We will now take steps to coordinate for common defense with our allies. This will take time.”
