JUST IN: Finnish minister urges US to speed up military aid to Ukraine
Finnish soldiers in Grafenwöhr, Germany
Department of Defense photos
Finnish government officials have called on the United States and the European Union to accelerate military aid to Ukraine.
Finland’s Minister of European Affairs and Property Management, Anders Adlerkreutz, said in a speech at the Wilson Center on January 22 that Russia’s victory in Ukraine would upend the world order that had been established since the end of World War II. He said it would happen.
Military aid from the United States is drying up as Congress debates the 2024 federal budget. Congress passed a series of continuing resolutions that keep the government open without authorizing further aid to the war-torn country.
Finland joined NATO in April 2023 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but neighboring Sweden’s membership has been stalled due to opposition from Turkey and Hungary. Meanwhile, the 27-nation European Council tried to pass a military aid package for Ukraine in December, but failed after Hungary vetoed the deal.
They will try to pass the package again in February, Adlerkreutz said.
“At the moment… there is no clear path forward to provide Ukraine with what it needs, and that really needs to change. That means we have to make decisions in February. “If you look at it, I think there’s reason to be concerned about that commitment as well,” he said.
Finland has provided approximately $1.75 billion in military aid to Ukraine, equivalent to approximately 0.5% of GDP, a significant amount for a country of its size. Adlerkreutz pointed out that this does not include millions more humanitarian aid recipients.
Politicians need to step up and make sure Ukraine gets what it needs, he said.
“We’re not investing our lives. We’re just investing in resources like ammunition, weapons, training, and those are really easy decisions,” he said. . “Ukrainians are working hard. They are dying. They are fighting. Their schools, homes, buildings, futures are being destroyed. If we can’t get our act together and give them money, ammunition, things they don’t really need today, then we’re not doing our job.”
Europe does not have the industrial capacity to support Ukraine. But it needs to be further strengthened, he added.
“While the United States has the capacity and we may have relied too much on the United States as a donor, it is clear that Europe still needs to be strengthened and we need to be involved.” Stated. He said.
He noted that Finland shares a 1,335-mile border with Russia. “We’re in a pretty fragile situation. And if we can’t rely on everyone adhering to the agreement, a lot of things are uncertain.”
Finland will take part in Steadfast Defender 2024, a large-scale NATO exercise in which around 90,000 combatants will wargame scenarios defending Western Europe from Russian aggression.
Finland will use this exercise to integrate into the NATO structure, learn the organization’s operational capabilities, develop dedicated forces that can be used when needed, and make the chain of command more efficient. “It really increases your general ability to act when needed,” he said. He said.
In July, the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit will be held in Washington, DC.
“Personally, I sincerely hope that Ukraine can also participate in this Washington summit. I think it will also send a necessary signal to the world,” he said.
topic: global defense market