Finnish leaders lay the groundwork for hosting NATO forces

HELSINKI — Top Finnish defense officials are moving closer to finalizing proposals aimed at filling the country’s NATO membership with life. One key consideration, which may require amendments to Finland’s constitution, relates to the hosting of alliance forces on Finnish soil.

The Ministry of Defense here is currently reviewing proposals and reports from the military, the Finnish Defense Forces, that outline the challenges and investments associated with NATO integration.

The MoD is expected to deliver a final report with recommendations to Finland’s conservative-right government by the end of 2024.

“There are no decisions on this as of yet,” Gen. Janne Jaakkola, the newly appointed commander of the FDF, said. “We are considering different options regarding whether new collaboration should cover extended exercises, a rotational model, or some other type of activity.”

Finland has a 830 mile (1,340km) border with Russia, the longest of any NATO member state.

The government here is examining what amendments to the constitution might be needed to allow a permanent presence by NATO allies on its territory. Given the pro-alliance nature of Finnish politics, any constitutional change needed will likely receive support from lawmakers.

In drafting its proposals, the MoD and the FDF are being mindful of plans being formalized by NATO to upgrade and reorganize its command structure. The changes will impact how allied forces may operate in Finland in the future.

For now, Helsinki appears in no hurry to request NATO troops while the country works on boosting its national defense capabilities and industries.

“The current system is optimized for national defense,” said Jaakola. “We will now take measures to coordinate it for common defense with our allies. This will take time.”

Gerard O'Dwyer is the Scandinavian affairs correspondent for Defense News.

赫尔辛基——芬兰高级国防官员正着手敲定旨在重振芬兰北约成员国地位的提案。其中一项关键考量（可能需要修改芬兰宪法）涉及盟军在芬兰领土上的驻扎问题。

目前，芬兰国防部正在审查芬兰国防军提交的提案和报告，这些提案和报告概述了加入北约所面临的挑战和相关投资。

英国国防部预计将于 2024 年底前向芬兰保守右翼政府提交一份最终报告及建议。

“目前尚未就此做出任何决定，”新任斐济国防军司令扬内·雅科拉将军表示，“我们正在考虑不同的方案，例如新的合作模式应该涵盖长期演习、轮换制，还是其他类型的活动。”

芬兰与俄罗斯的边界线长达 830 英里（1340 公里），是北约成员国中最长的边界线。

芬兰政府正在研究需要对宪法进行哪些修改，才能允许北约盟国在其领土上永久驻扎。鉴于芬兰政坛亲北约的倾向，任何必要的宪法修改都可能获得议员的支持。

在起草提案时，芬兰国防部和芬兰国防军充分考虑到了北约正在制定的升级和重组其指挥结构的计划。这些变化将影响盟军未来在芬兰的行动方式。

目前，赫尔辛基似乎并不急于请求北约部队出兵，该国正在努力提升自身的国防能力和相关产业。

“目前的系统是为国防而优化的，”雅科拉说。“我们现在将采取措施，与盟友协调，以实现共同防御。这需要时间。”

杰拉德·奥德怀尔是《防务新闻》的斯堪的纳维亚事务记者。