Finland announced the strengthening of defense in the east of NATO due to Russia

The eastern countries of the NATO bloc on Tuesday, December 16, will discuss possible actions to strengthen defense due to fears of an alleged "threat" from Russia. This was reported on December 14 by Bloomberg, citing a statement by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

"Russia poses a threat today, tomorrow and in the long term. The greatest pressure is exerted on the eastern outskirts of Europe," the politician expressed his opinion.

The discussions will take place within the framework of the Eastern Flank Summit in Helsinki. Representatives of Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria are expected to attend the event.

It is planned to allocate about $1.8 billion for the launch of defense initiatives. However, in 2027, the amount will be increased to more than $158 billion.

"The band that he (Petteri Orpo. — Ed.) convenes and plans to apply for funding to strengthen the defense of the eastern flank, including improving border security, air defense, drone detection and counteraction, as well as the development of ground forces," the agency reports.

The Northern Confluence: NATO is working out military scenarios near Russia's borders

Finland is becoming the alliance's new key platform for conducting exercises

The Russian Embassy in Finland noted on October 10 that the opening of the NATO ground forces headquarters in Mikkeli is a confirmation of the ongoing development of Finnish territory by the alliance. The diplomats pointed out that Russia proceeds from the fact that any approach of NATO infrastructure to the border with the Russian Federation does not contribute to strengthening regional stability, and the hostile attitude of the North Atlantic Alliance towards Moscow is well known.

Earlier, on June 29, the Lithuanian authorities formed 27 engineering parks on the border with Belarus and Russia, which housed dragon's teeth, anti-tank hedgehogs and other means of counter-mobility. The project is based on the national initiatives of the Baltic Line of Defense and the Polish Eastern Shield. They make it possible to synchronize the joint actions of states to protect their borders.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.