Finland’s defense minister says the Nordic country is negotiating a defense collaboration agreement with the United States and aims to sign it this autumn.
Jussi Niinisto told Reuters on August 22 that the agreement would cover areas like military training, information sharing, and research. It would not include, Niinisto said, obligations for military assistance.
Finland has a 1,300-kilometer-long border with Russia and maintained neutrality through the Cold War.
However, Nordic states have complained recently of increased Russian military action in the region.
For the first time ever, Finland joined a NATO summit dinner in July in a show of common purpose.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hinted he would move troops closer to Finland’s border if it joined the military alliance.