The United States on Monday signed an agreement to expand military cooperation with Finland.
This came a day after Vladimir Putin said in an interview on state television that the West had “pulled” Finland into NATO.
The defense cooperation agreement cements closer ties between Washington and Helsinki, including joint training and interoperability, in line with Finland’s entry into the Alliance in April.
At the treaty’s signing ceremony, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen called it “a powerful demonstration of the United States’ commitment to the defense of Finland and all of Northern Europe.”
“We do not expect the United States to take charge of Finland’s defense. We continue to invest in our defense and share the burden in our region and beyond,” Hakkanen said. “However, this agreement greatly enhances our ability to act together in any situation.”
Secretary of State Blinken emphasized that Finland “knows perhaps better than anyone what is at stake for Ukraine.”
“In 1939, the Finns also faced a Russian invasion and proved that a free country can put up incredibly strong and resilient resistance,” Blinken said. “Your story is a reminder of why it is so important that we all continue to support Ukraine.”
“Autocrats who try to forcefully redraw the borders of one country will almost certainly not stop there,” he added.
The ceremony was attended by Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.
The United States and Finland reiterated their support for Sweden to join NATO, which applied to join along with Finland but faced opposition from Turkey.
“Today NATO is bigger, stronger, more united than at any time in its almost 75-year history, and this is in no small part thanks to the entry of Finland. And soon Sweden will join (the alliance),” Blinken said.
The Secretary of State expressed gratitude to Finland for providing more than $2 billion to support Ukraine’s defense, humanitarian and other assistance in the face of Kyiv’s opposition to a full-scale Russian invasion.
Blinken stressed that it is important for the United States to continue to support Ukraine.
“America’s assistance is critical to strengthening Ukraine’s capacity so it can get back on its feet—militarily, economically, and democratically—and ensure that President Putin’s war of aggression remains a strategic failure. We will continue to work with Congress to ensure that President Biden’s request for a supplemental budget, which is vital to ensure this outcome, is passed,” the head of the State Department said.
