According to , Finland is about to open up several military areas to the United States. US forces would be allowed to use multiple garrisons or military bases.
Finland has negotiated a defense cooperation agreement with the United States for over a year.
With the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), the two countries agree on how US troops can operate in Finland.
According to ‘s information, Finland would allow US forces to use several Finnish garrisons or military bases. They would include land, sea and air force areas.
We presented to the researcher of the Foreign Policy Institute Iro Särkä five questions about the contract.
1. What do you think of the contract?
The goal of this bilateral defense cooperation agreement is to enable the short-term and long-term presence of US forces in Finland without any problems.
I see the agreement as a positive thing from the point of view of Finland’s national security. NATO membership has brought us a certain foundation, reference framework and framework for bilaterally further deepening defense cooperation in various areas with the United States.
2. What did Finland and the United States agree on?
US troops and various materials can be brought to Finland and stored when necessary.
With this agreement, the framework and possibilities are created for the US troops to have the opportunity to operate in Finland even in very demanding climatic conditions. This is of course a good thing for Finland.
We will certainly not make public all the details of the agreement.
These contracts are very standard. They review principles related to the use of troops, as well as principles related to training activities and material storage. They also agree on issues related to the taxation of military personnel in Finland.
3. Why does the United States want to make such an agreement with Finland?
This is a kind of signal that Finland is a key ally for the United States when we have joined NATO.
The United States wants to deepen defense cooperation with those states that are in the same alliance and that may also have similar strategic interests in terms of the operating environment.
The United States is interested in Finland and the Nordic region more broadly.
4. The agreement between Finland and the United States includes areas that are only used by the United States. What areas could the US be interested in?
Certainly from areas that could be suitable for storing a certain type of military material and where it is possible to create the necessary framework for troops to operate.
The regions can certainly be different regions of all defense branches. They can extend geographically to Finland very widely.
It may well be possible that the United States wants to deepen its know-how on how to operate in extremely cold conditions. We can see military forces very far away in that northern sky.
5. Do you have to worry about certain areas only being used by the US?
I wouldn’t say it’s something to worry about.
If necessary, Finnish legislation can also be applied to American soldiers on Finnish soil. Of course, they also have their own legislative principles.
What could Finland do in this situation? It could actively discuss with allied countries that have similar agreements with the United States and learn from how national laws have been interpreted in such situations.