“A task for 10-20 years”. Intelligence chief on “Russia's stupid ideas”

– A quick improvement should not be expected, even if active hostilities ended Ukraine. Russia remains one of the main threats for us, said the Minister of Defense Finland Antti Hakkanen at a conference in Helsinki, presenting the government-approved report on national defense and plans for the next decade.

As he emphasized, a “dangerous sign” is that Russia is tightening cooperation with North Korea, Iran and China.

– The security situation is serious, difficult to predict and may deteriorate quickly – according to a government report submitted to parliament on Thursday. This is the first such document that outlines Finland's defense policy since the country joined NATO in spring 2023. The previous report was prepared in 2021.

The starting point of the current report is the assumption that “Russia poses a long-term threat to the security of Europe and Finland.” It emphasized that “it is important for Finland, as a country on NATO's external border, to take care of its own defense.” – This is the essence and we will not bargain on this issue – said the minister.

At the same time – as emphasized in the government document – “Finland must have the ability to respond to a rapidly developing, large-scale, long-lasting and very intense war, using national resources and within NATO.”

In recent years, Finland has incurred significant expenditure on defense investments, which mainly consists of purchases from USA – for approximately EUR 10 billion – 64 new F-35 fighters, which will gradually, from 2026, replace the previously used and worn-out F/A-18 Hornet.

Currently, the country allocates about 2.4 percent. GDP for defense. According to Hakkanen, the latest line of defense policy “commits to maintaining investments at the level required by NATO”, but specific amounts – as he noted – are the subject of economic policy.

The defense policy adopted by the government also shows that the most important partners for Finland are Sweden, Norway, the USA, as well as Estonia and Great Britainwhich leads the JEF Group (Joint Expeditionary Force), i.e. the Multinational Expeditionary Force bringing together 10 countries, including the Baltic and Nordic countries.

In turn, in the area of ​​purchase and development of equipment, weapons and military materials, apart from North America and European countries, key suppliers are also South KoreaJapan and Israel.

Estonia also significantly increased its defense spending. From the beginning war in Ukraine expenses were increased to 3.4%. GDP – reported Reuters.

– NATO's task in the coming 10-20 years will be to contain or deter Russia so that it does not have any stupid ideas for a military attack on the West, Kaupo Rosin, director general of Estonian intelligence, told Reuters on Tuesday.

– I think it is feasible, but it is the West that needs to take this issue seriously and invest in defense – he added.

Reuters noted that while Russia has repeatedly denied it has any plans to attack a NATO country, its defense minister said this week that Moscow must be ready to fight NATO in Europe over the next decade.

Rosin added that “NATO and national military plans must be credible, realistic and backed by real resources.” – If we do our homework properly, we will be able to deter Russia – he said.

At the same time, he said that it is difficult for him to imagine that Russia will conduct negotiations regarding Ukraine in the near future, and said that Russia “will try to limit NATO's activities, the Alliance's infrastructure and the presence of troops in Russia's neighborhood.”