Sweden is ready to lead NATO forces coming to Finland.
16:33•Updated 16:42
Prime minister Petteri Orpo (co.) has clarified the tasks of the NATO troops coming to Finland in Sweden.
Sweden will play a leading role in Finland’s peacetime forces
– It means that other countries also participate. It’s about the fact that there have been assigned troop divisions, which, if necessary, have been assigned to the defense of Finland and are training for it, Orpo said in Stockholm.
– We are building the defense of Pohjola. NATO structures create such a deterrent that no one would even think of defying it, Orpo said.
The governments of Sweden and Finland gathered for a joint meeting in Stockholm.
NATO started planning the defense of Finland and Sweden after the countries joined the military alliance. In particular, the defense of the border countries is important from the point of view of the entire union.
– This will also strengthen Sweden’s defense capability, Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson quoth.
Sweden said earlier in the day that it is ready to lead the NATO ground forces coming to Finland, or the FLF forces.
According to Prime Minister Orpo, Sweden was a desirable partner for Finland because geography, history and close defense cooperation unite. Kristersson said that Sweden’s agreement did not require a long reflection period.
The governments also discussed other cooperation, for example in crime prevention and immigration policy.
Both also emphasized traffic structures that secure both military transports, security of supply and trade.
Sweden intends to improve, for example, the load-bearing capacity of bridges rather than railways. Both pay attention to east-west connections.
– When we now create this common defense, we can only defend when we can move even heavy material, Orpo said.