In his recent speech held in connection with the opening of the Finnish National Defence courses, General Lindberg underlined that ”our operational environment is under change” and that spending on the national military consequently needs to be enhanced.
”Typically for this time is that the borders between peace, crisis and war are melting together to a kind of area of grey instability”, Lindberg said, adding that ”a tightened economy and a growing military threat near the borders further enhances the level of uncertainty”.
The speech of the Finnish military leader comes as the crisis in Ukraine continues to deteriorate relations between Russia and most of its neighbors. ”Under the past year, we have improved intelligence and preparedness in a way which is required by the circumstances”, Lindberg told, a transcript available on the website of the country’s military reads.
Following several cases of air space violations by Russian aircrafts, the Finnish Air Force has stepped up it monitoring of Finnish skies.
The changing political climate with neigbor Russia is strongly sensed also in the Finnish Parliament, and a higher level of military spending is on the agenda among the legislators. A parliamentary working group is proposing annual increases in Defense Forces appropriations for arms purchases. The plan calls for an additional €150 million in military budget spending by 2020, Yle reports.
In 2016, the Finnish Armed Forces will get an additional €50 million for arms aquisitions, the working group members confirm.
According to Ilkka Kanerva, chairman of the group, there is broad parliament consensus for the decisions.
