NATO war games have started on Monday with involves 13 nations and more than 20,000 troops and for the first time Finland is part of the major exercise.
The exercise is to defend Finland as thousands of troops are to take part in the military exercise in the regions of Sweden and Norway also.
The Norway led Nordic Response 2024 will see more than 4,000 Finnish troops take part in the largest ever foreign military exercise.
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“For the first time, Finland will participate as a NATO member nation in exercising collective defence of the alliance’s regions,” the Finnish Defense Forces said in a statement.
In April 2023 Finland made the move to join NATO as they share a 830 mile border with Russia and the Ukraine invasion has led to security concerns for the Finnish government.
Last week Vladimir Putin accused NATO of plotting to attack Russia and today the Kremlin’s spokesman has said that the alliance is “preparing for war” against Moscow.
The Norwegian Armed Forces said on its website, “Thanks to the NATO expansion with Finland and eventually Sweden, we are now expanding the exercise to a Nordic Response.”
Nordic Response 2024 runs until 15 March and consists of the US, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Belgium taking part in the military exercise.
Brigadier Tron Strand from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, Commander of the Norwegian Air Operations Center, said in a statement, “We need to be able to fight back and stop anyone who tries to challenge our borders, values and democracy.
“With the current security situation in Europe, the exercise is extremely relevant and more important than ever before.”
NATO says on their website, “The High North represents an important and strategically located area for NATO.”
Nordic Response 2024 exercise “increases Nordic preparedness and the capability to conduct large-scale joint operations in challenging weather and climate.”
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