NATO to set up new land command next year in Finland near border with Russia, which will be tasked with leading the alliance's land operations in Northern Europe in the event of a military conflict, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkänen announced, quoted by Reuters, BTA writes.
Finland joined NATO last year in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Häkianen said the command will have an initial annual budget of 8.5 million euros and will consist of several dozen international civil servants.
Earlier this month, Finland and neighboring Sweden, which also joined the alliance this year, said Sweden would coordinate visits by foreign NATO troops and international exercises in northern Finland.
However, Helsinki does not seek to have on its territory the same kind of permanent multinational force that was deployed in, for example, the nearby Baltic countries, given the considerable size of the Finnish forces themselves.
The Finnish army chief said the geographical scope of the new unit would be determined later, but initially it would oversee the planning of ground forces' operations in the northern European region.