A NATO base will be established in Finland less than 200 kilometres from the Russian border, the Finnish Ministry of Defence announced on Friday.
Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 2023, ending decades of military non-alignment, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said the new headquarters of NATO's Northern Land Command would be located in Mikkeli, one of the closest cities to Finland’s 1,340-kilometre border with Russia.
"Finland is sending a message to Russia that we are a full member of NATO, and that NATO has a very strong role also in Finland's defence," Hakkanen said at a press conference.
The command of Finland’s defence forces is already located at the site of the future base.
"By combining the locations, we achieve the best possible synergy between national defence management and NATO defence management," Hakkanen said.
The new Multi-Corps Land Component Command will operate under NATO’s command in Norfolk, United States, overseeing the Atlantic and Arctic regions.
Hakkanen clarified that the headquarters have an annual budget of €9.5 million would consist of a few dozen personnel from various NATO countries.
In June, NATO defence ministers approved Finland’s hosting of the multi-corps land component command and advanced land forces (ALF).
Details regarding the ALF – NATO’s multinational land forces based in several countries along its eastern front – will be announced later, Hakkanen noted.
