Finland in talks with Britain on increasing military cooperation

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kakkonen spoke shortly after the press conference in Helsinki on Wednesday regarding the Finnish government’s submission Statement of its new security policyA prominent NATO analysis.

He says the Finnish government is in talks with Great Britain about new bilateral cooperation.

We have begun to discuss with Great Britain how practical cooperation might look, says Ante Kakkonen Swedish Yle.

He expects to be able to tell more details about the collaboration later in the spring or early summer.

Sweden and Finland are already involved in the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) together with the Nordic and Baltic states, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

British offer to the Nordic countries

SVT Nyheter reported on Tuesday that Great Britain is providing Sweden and other Nordic countries with an increased military presencewith, among others, naval combat forces and reconnaissance aircraft.

The combat forces of the British Navy can consist of anything from Marines to the so-called aircraft carrier group that carries combat aircraft on board.

The northern regions are very important strategically. British Ambassador Judith Gove said in an interview with SVT: We want to keep this region of low tension and close cooperation.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also proposed a naval combat group that could circulate between Sweden, Norway and Finland, as part of a The UK’s New High Arctic Strategywhich includes the Nordic countries.

Finnish Defense Minister Kakkonen says he is not aware of any such plans.

The expanded defense cooperation that Finland is discussing with Great Britain is, according to Kaikkonen, explicit bilateral in nature, in addition to the existing JEF cooperation.

Hultqvist (S) refuses

SVT Nyheter sought comment from Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist (S) on the British offer to increase military presence in the Nordic region. However, his press secretary announced that Hultqvist did not have time to comment on the matter.