Finland allows the US to use 15 military sites.

In addition to access to military zones, Finland – the newest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – also allows the US to deploy defensive equipment and bring aircraft, ships, and military vehicles into its territory.

Finnish police cars in Virolahti – a border region with Russia. Photo: Reuters.

The Finnish government has decided to sign a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States, which will allow the US military to use 15 of the country's military sites.

According to DCA documents released by the Finnish government, these areas will include four air bases, a military port, and a railway line leading to northern Finland, where the US military will have a storage facility along the railway line to the Russian border. In addition to access to military areas, Finland also allows the US to deploy defensive equipment and bring aircraft, ships, and military vehicles into its territory.

Negotiations on the DCA between Finland and the United States lasted from August 2022 to October 2023. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated that the DCA needed to be ratified by the Finnish Parliament before signing, emphasizing that the agreement would be legally binding on both sides. According to the Washington Post, the signing ceremony for the DCA is expected to take place in Washington, D.C., on December 18th.

Finland ended its decades-long policy of military non-alignment and decided to apply for NATO membership in 2022. In April of this year, Finland – a country of 5.6 million people with a 1,340 km border with Russia – was officially admitted, becoming the 31st member of the military alliance.

Several NATO countries currently have similar bilateral defense agreements with the United States. Last week, Finland's Nordic neighbor, Sweden, which is on track to join NATO, signed a similar agreement.

Another member of the alliance, Denmark, is expected to take similar action in the near future.

KHANH HUNG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phan-lan-cho-phep-my-su-dung-15-khu-vuc-quan-su-post718530.html