The NATO troops coming to Finland and the sub-staff of the NATO ground forces received additional funding of 67 million euros in next year’s budget.
Stock photo of the ground forces’ AMOS mortar system. Joel Maisalmi
The government is making drastic cuts in many sectors, but NATO spending will be significantly increased in next year’s budget.
When Finland was about to join NATO, it was estimated that the costs of membership in the alliance would be around 70–100 million per year.
This year, the sum of NATO expenses for the Ministry of Defense and Foreign Affairs alone has been around 100 million euros.
On Tuesday, it was reported in the government’s budget briefing that next year, on top of the corresponding expenses, there will be an additional pot of NATO funding of EUR 67 million, which will finance the alliance’s increasing presence in Finland.
The NATO Land Forces Lower Staff (MCLCC) is being established in Finland.
Iltalehti asked at the press conference on the budget dispute, either the prime minister can tell the public that the NATO ground forces sub-staff will be established in Mikkeli.
On Tuesday, Orpo did not want to say where the subordinate staff will be placed.
– There is no decision about the lower staff. Finland gets a lower staff of the ground forces. Infra, the ability to receive (troops) and related investments must be prepared for the troops.
Iltalehti already reported in April that NATO’s sub-staff is coming to Mikkeli.
According to the Prime Minister, the money will also be allocated to promoting the ability to receive aid from allied countries.
In addition to the sub-staff, the presence of NATO forces in Finland is planned. It is about the so-called forward presence of ground forces (FLF forces). According to Orpo, new infrastructure is being prepared for the troops, among other things.
According to information from Iltalehti, an armored NATO brigade of 4,000–5,000 soldiers is becoming Finland’s protection.
According to the Prime Minister, additional investments are necessary in order for Finland to show its commitment to NATO.
– We are making NATO’s presence in Finland a reality. We will add 67 million to NATO’s presence in Finland, Orpo said.
According to Orpo, the investments are also necessary to build up Finland’s defense at a fast pace, so that everything that Finland wants can be extracted from the union. In practice, this means NATO’s strong commitment to the defense of Finland and NATO against the common enemy, Russia.
The appropriations for the entire defense administration will rise to almost 6.5 billion euros in next year’s budget proposal, which is about half a billion euros more than in this year’s budget.
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