Under the agreement, American troops will be able to store weapons and supplies at 15 locations in Finland
Finland plans to sign a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the US, enabling Washington to send troops there and store weapons and ammunition, the Finnish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The Nordic country became a member of the NATO alliance earlier this year.
According to the ministry’s press release, the document is subject to approval by parliament. It is expected to be signed on Monday.
The agreement states that Helsinki will open 15 zones and facilities to which Washington will be granted “unimpeded access and use.” The US will be allowed to deploy military equipment, conduct training, and move its aircraft, ships, and vehicles.
According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said that nuclear weapons were not excluded from the DCA; however, it would not override the Finnish Nuclear Energy Act, which prohibits the import and possession of nuclear weapons on the country’s territory.
The agreement states that all activities under it must be carried out with “full respect” for the law, “including with regard to the stockpiling of certain types of weapons on the territory of Finland.”
Hakkanen said the DCA is “a guarantee from the world’s largest military power that they will defend us” and “forms a pretty tough pre-emption for our neighbor” along with NATO membership, Yle reported.
Commenting on Helsinki’s decision to allow the US military to use its facilities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow regrets the move as Russia and Finland “had excellent relations, there were no problems.”
In November, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow would have to take “retaliatory measures” to counter the emerging “threats to national security” if Helsinki signed the deal with Washington.
Finland announced its decision to join NATO few months after the conflict between Ukraine and Russia escalated in February 2022. In April 2023, it became an official member of the US-led bloc.
Last year, Putin said Finland choosing to join the alliance and reject its traditional policy of military neutrality was “wrong” because there were “no threats” to Helsinki’s security.
