Sweden to lead NATO’s land forces in Finland

HELSINKI, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) — Sweden has announced its readiness to take command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s multinational forward land forces to be stationed in Finland, sources said on Monday.
Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson made the announcement at a joint press conference in Stockholm with visiting Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen.
According to a Finnish government press release on Monday, NATO approved the deployment of forward land forces in Finland at a meeting of allied defense ministers in June. This model requires a “framework nation,” which plays a key role in overseeing and implementing the forward presence.
The ministers did not disclose details about the forces, such as their location in Finland or the size of Sweden’s contribution. However, Jonson revealed that at this stage of planning, staff officers might be involved, and there would be an increase in training efforts.
The ministers also said that the plans for NATO’s forward land forces in Finland will be discussed at the upcoming NATO defense ministers meeting in February.
According to earlier official statements, the plan for the deployment involves rotating soldiers from several NATO countries for training in Finland. The presence can be increased if necessary, depending on the security situation. ■