Russia and the countries that support it will continue to be a danger to Europe even after the war in Ukraine is over, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen declared on Thursday.
Finland, like Ukraine, is a neighbor of Russia, with which it shares a border of more than 1,300 kilometers that is currently closed to all travelers, since Helsinki accuses Moscow of channeling illegal immigration to Europe.
Hakkanen, who presented a review of the Nordic country’s Army, He said he sees Russia’s growing cooperation with North Korea, Iran and China as a long-term risk.
“Russia, together with its allies, will remain a dangerous actor in Europe even after the war in Ukraine and we cannot exclude the possibility that they threaten European countries with the use of military force,” he stated.
Finland on Thursday published its first defense policy review since joining the NATO military alliance last year, in a historic policy change brought about by the invasion of Ukraine.
The review recommends that Finland focus on strengthening its national defense, NATO deterrence and cooperation with various allies, especially in regional surveillance and training.
“The main allies in our international cooperation are Sweden, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom and Estonia,” Hakkanen said, adding that Finland is working with South Korea, Israel and Japan on obtaining defense material.
Finland will continue to spend at least 2% of its gross domestic product on defense, in line with the minimum target set by NATO, according to the review. The Baltic countries and Poland are expected to spend between 3.2% and 4.7%, while Sweden and Norway will reach 2.6% in 2030, according to the report.
