Finland and the United States have agreed to expand defense cooperation, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said after meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House.
The two presidents spoke about the impact of the war on the European security situation and defense cooperation between Finland and the United States. The meeting lasted about an hour, according to the radio yall.
In addition to the situation in Ukraine, the security of Finland was also discussed.
There was a growing debate about Finland’s membership in NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Finland has a 130-kilometre border to Russia, but like Sweden is not a member of the alliance.
Finland is already cooperating with NATO, and Niinistö emphasized that the country already meets all requirements for membership.
But he stressed in the press conference held after the meeting that it is now about deepening cooperation with the Americans.
– He said we are starting a process to expand cooperation.
– He added that time will determine what this process will develop into.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine increased Finnish support for joining NATO. In a Yle poll this week, 53 percent of respondents said they wanted the country to join the coalition.
Finland, along with Norway and other countries, joined the ranks of countries supplying weapons to Ukraine.
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