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The agreement was signed a day after a warning from Vladimir Putin, who announced Russian military reinforcements in response to the Scandinavian country's entry into NATO.
Published on December 18, 2023 10:46 p.m
Reading time: 1 min
Finnish ministers Elina Valtonen and Antti Häkkänen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on December 18, 2023 in Washington, USA. (ALMOND NGAN / AFP)
As tensions with Moscow grow, Helsinki is moving closer to Washington. Finland signed an agreement to strengthen its military cooperation with the United States on Monday, December 18. The agreement, which formalizes closer ties between the two countries, was welcomed by the Finnish defense minister as “a strong sign of the United States' commitment to the defense of Finland and all of Europe to the north.”
“We do not expect the United States to take care of the defense of Finland. But this agreement significantly improves our ability to act together in all situations,” said Antti Häkkänen at the signing of the agreement in the American capital together with the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken.
Russia wants to establish a Russian military district near Finland
On Sunday, Vladimir Putin accused the West of “drawing Finland into NATO” and claimed that such membership would create “problems” where there were “none.” The Russian president also announced the creation of a Russian military district near Finland, while the two countries share a 1,340-kilometer border. The US Secretary of State said that Finland “knows almost better than anyone what is at stake for Ukraine.”
Finland, which repelled a Soviet invasion in the winter of 1939-40, avoided joining NATO for decades for fear of angering its giant neighbor. But since February 2022, their relations have deteriorated significantly, and the Russian offensive in Ukraine led to Finland joining NATO in April 2023 out of concern for its security.
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