The US gets access to 15 military bases or facilities in Finland, according to a defense agreement similar to the one Sweden entered into with the US the other week.
Finland – whose NATO membership means that the military alliance’s border with Russia will be considerably longer – will, like Sweden, house American soldiers.
The US will have access to a total of 15 military bases or training facilities on Finnish soil, Finnish media reports. They are located in the north and in the south and open to ground forces, aircraft and naval vessels.
Within certain given areas only Americans will be allowed to stay. The American military will also be able to store weapons and ammunition in Finland.
It is not stated in the agreement how many soldiers there may be.
“Very important signal”
It has already been known that Finland intends to conclude a defense cooperation agreement (DCA). Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen announced the details at a press conference on Thursday.
– This is a very important signal in this situation. A clearer signal than this cannot be sent. We now defend Finland together if someone attacks us, says Häkkänen at a press conference, according to Svenska EPN.
The Finnish defense minister will sign the papers in Washington DC on Monday. Then the Riksdag in Helsinki is expected to make a decision on it at the beginning of next year.
Nothing about nuclear weapons
The agreement that Sweden signed on December 5 gives the US military the right to access and the right to use parts of 17 Swedish military bases, facilities and training areas.
Neither the Swedish nor the Finnish agreement explicitly mentions nuclear weapons, reports the Finnish news agency STT. Norway, which has previously entered into a corresponding agreement, has, on the other hand, had a ban on the placement of nuclear weapons on Norwegian soil entered.
The United States has entered into agreements of this kind with several allied countries. They are described as complementary to NATO membership.