Finland will give NATO ‘vital boost’
FINLAND’S new role as a full Nato member will help fill vital capability gaps in the alliance, its former policy chief said last night.
Finland’s accession to become Nato’s 31st member doubles the length of the alliance’s border and ends decades of “military non-alignment” with its neighbour, Russia.
Despite Russian threats, it also ends any chance of Moscow using hybrid tactics such as cyber-attacks, disinformation and grey-zone offensives to dissuade the Finns from aligning themselves firmly to thewest.
It is in military terms where the real differences will be felt, said former
Nato director of policy planning,
Fabrice Pothier.
“First of all, it ends one of the biggest headaches for Nato. Until now the alliance has had to develop its responses to a range of scenarios in the Baltics – the most likely flashpoint with Russia – without Finland’s direct input. Even though Finland was an associate member of Nato, planning was a complicated affair.
“Now, in terms of planning, Nato has 100 per cent certainty and this makes a huge difference.”
The other difference is in military numbers.while Finland boasts only 20,000 regular and active personnel, it is one of the few European nations to
‘It is likely to have a dramatic effect’
have kept conscription, bolstering its war-time forces to 280,000.
This was boosted from 50,000 in 2017, in recognition of Russia’s increasingly aggressive posture and military aggression towards Ukraine.
Its defence strategy relies on using the heavily forested terrain to deter a Russian attack, but its arsenal of 700 howitzers, 700 heavy mortars and 100 multiple rocket launchers gives it the greatest artillery capability of any force in Western Europe.
Professor Michael Clarke, from the University of Exeter’s Strategy and Security Institute, said: “This is the most significant enlargement and military enhancement of Nato since German rearmament in 1955, and it is likely to have a dramatic effect.
“In the awful event of a general European war, it would leave Russia’s northern flank wide open to an effective attack from Scandinavia.
“This vulnerability now confronts any Russian leader for the next several decades.”
Finland’s promotion to 31st Nato member was the second major political change in the Scandinavian country last week – after parliamentary elections pointed to popular Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s exit.
But being replaced by a Right-wing coalition leader under Petteri Orpo because of domestic issues will not affect Finland’s stance against Russia, said Mr Pothier, who added: “Public opinion is strongly for Nato, and the momentum is too strong for a new government to alter its membership.”