DVIDS – News – USEUCOM entertains Finnish military personnel to promote closer bilateral ties

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. James Kriesel, director of U.S. European Command’s Exercises and Evaluation Directorate, welcomed Brig. On January 18, 2024, General Manu Tuominen, Deputy Chief of the Training Staff of the Finnish Defense Forces, and a Finnish military delegation during a visit to headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

As part of the visit, Brig. General Tuominen was accompanied by USEUCOM’s Finnish external liaison officer Lieutenant Colonel Timo Ronkainen and Finnish staff officer Major Ilka Maki Urrako. During the exchange, U.S. and Finnish military leaders aimed to strengthen the two countries’ strategic relationship as NATO allies. Intensive discussions centered around both USEUCOM’s exercise program and Finland’s exercise program, and how Finland, NATO’s newest member, can be better integrated into U.S. and NATO-led exercises. Also high on the agenda was how the United States and Finland can increase interoperability between the two countries as they continue to develop their shared interests in the Northern Highlands.

The United States and Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement in December 2023 to enhance opportunities for our militaries to cooperate and train together while enhancing NATO interoperability.

On April 4, 2023, Finland will officially become NATO’s 31st member state, nearly doubling the existing border between NATO and Russia, resulting in major changes to the security landscape in northeastern Europe and NATO’s eastern flank. It happened.

Military leaders from both countries actively participate in the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable. The Arctic Security Forces Roundtable is a military-to-military forum at the flag and officer level aimed at promoting regional understanding and strengthening multilateral security cooperation in the Highlands North. ASFR is the longest-running military forum focused on the difficult security dynamics unique to the Arctic.