Four warships from the United States, Germany and France have arrived in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. German and US warships are participating in exercises in the Baltic Sea, YLE reported. The development will take place after Finland applied for NATO membership on 18 May.

The commander of the Finnish Navy’s fleet, Jussi Jamsen, said that the arrival of NATO warships in Helsinki showed its support for Finland. He emphasized that Finland valued the arrival of NATO warships in the country that had applied for membership. YLE report. At the same time, the Finnish government has also announced that it will increase training and internships with partner countries.

Finland is stepping up military exercises with international partners

Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen announced earlier on 27 May that Finland would increase its international military exercises. Kaikkonen said that 20 new training and exercise events are planned for 2022, of which 8 new events, according to a press release from the Ministry of Defense. According to the Minister of Defense, Helsinki’s decision to organize exercises with close partners is aimed at strengthening Finland’s defense capabilities and the presence of troops.

Finland has intensified its training co-operation, especially with the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Norway. Training and exercise activities are carried out with the land, naval and air forces as well as special forces. According to the statement, most of the training activities are carried out in Finland and some in the partner countries in accordance with the principles of cross-border training activities. The Ministry of Defense said in its statement that the training activities “improve” Finland’s ability to join NATO.

Finland is applying for NATO membership

Sweden and Finland previously submitted their formal applications for NATO membership on 18 May. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finland’s and Sweden’s requests to join the military alliance, saying “this is a good day at a critical time for our security.”

After Finland and Sweden submitted their applications for NATO membership, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States welcomed the decision. However, Turkey has expressed concern about the decision of Sweden and Finland to join the 30-member military alliance. Finland and Sweden in particular need the support of all 30 member states to join NATO. The Swedish and Finnish delegations arrived in Ankara on 25 May to discuss their NATO aspirations with Turkey. The Foreign Ministry announced on Twitter that Finland, Sweden and Turkey agreed to continue the dialogue in a “constructive spirit”.

Photo: AP