President Sauli Niinistö has rejected the interpretation that a new defence policy co-operation agreement signed by Finland, Sweden and the United States has taken the two Nordic countries closer to Nato.
President Sauli Niinistö has told Talouselämä that he disagrees with the interpretation that the statement of intent on defence policy co-operation signed by Finland, Sweden and the United States in May has taken the two Nordic countries closer to joining Nato.
The trilateral agreement has raised eyebrows particularly among proponents of military non-alignment in Finland and Sweden.
Niinistö stated to the business weekly that the statement of intent is nothing to be baffled about, reminding that both Finland and Sweden already have a bilateral agreement with the United States.
“The statement of intent in itself contains no elements that are not reflected in the bilateral agreements,” he underscored. “I think it’s clearly wrong to conclude that this sees us somehow re-align ourselves towards Nato.”
“There’s really no need to offer any explanations,” he summarised. “Sweden has co-operated with the United States more closely than Finland, but also Finland has had [co-operation]. You could say that we’ve had a very firm relationship with the United States ever since the Hornet acquisition, not least because without the relationship there’d be no flying the Hornets.”
Niinistö also admitted that one of the factors driving the co-operation is increased Russian military activity in the Baltic Sea.
“The Baltic Sea’s situation is certainly something that’s a concern for all of us. It’s a concern for Nato and the United States, and first and foremost to Sweden. It has put the idea into our all our heads that we also have to think together about what’s going on in the Baltic Sea,” he commented.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT Photo: Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi
