Nordic countries increase defensive budgets. “Russia is a long -term military threat”

Nordic countries decided to increase defense funds, because Russia is a long -term military threat to Finland and all of Europe, “said Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Monday after the informal meeting of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Paimio.

The heads of Nordic government's government agreed to Russia's recent attacks on civilians in Ukraine.

“Putin talks about peace during the day, in the night he uses terror,” said Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

The premiere of Danish Mette Frederiksen She estimated that the leader of Russia is not seriously approaching peace negotiations, and support for Ukraine must be continued. Speaking of the need to strengthen the defense of the region, she emphasized that Nordic countries “have potential” to engage in many different forms of cooperation.

Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson He admitted that his country is currently considering increasing the defensive budget to 3.5 percent. GDP. According to him, “closer cooperation with similar views, such as Germany and Poland” is necessary, and the Nordic countries, which in many areas are admired, among others Due to investments in the development of artificial intelligence, it is easy to “acquire partners”.

“We are not afraid. We are strong, resistant and prepared,” said ORPO, emphasizing the importance of more closely cooperation not only within NATO, but also in the region.

Prime Minister of Finland He was the host of the Norse meeting of the Council of Ministers. Finland, along with the autonomous region of the Alandic Islands, chaired in 2025. This format of cooperation at government level. The slogan of this year's Finnish presidency – “United and strong Scandinavia” – fits into a long -term vision of the development of the Scandinavian region, according to which it is to become the most balanced and integrated area of ​​the world by the end of 2030. For the first time, as part of the presidency, the heads of dependent territories, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, were invited to the Council's meeting.

The premiere of Denmark thanked the other Nordic countries for the support that its country received in connection with the statements of the US President Donald Trump about the annexation of Greenland, the Danish dependent territory.

“The most important thing is to respect international law and official state borders,” said the head of the autonomous government of the island of Jens -Frederik Nielsen. As he emphasized, it is important that other countries “strengthen this message”.

“The Arctic region is an regulated area and we will repeat it everywhere: in Washington, Brussels, Beijing and anywhere else” – emphasized the Norwegian prime minister, referring to the pressure exerted on local communities. He assured Solidarity with Denmark and the Greenlanders. He emphasized that during the Monday meeting of the prime ministers a lot of attention was devoted not only to strengthening defense skills, but also to prepare the public for all kinds of crises – “resulting not only from the military confrontation, but also from hybrid situations or extreme weather conditions or anything that can be a challenge for social order.”

On Monday evening, the meeting of heads of government of Nordic countries will be moved from Paimio to nearby Turku, where the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will join the participants. The main topic of size will be competitiveness and strengthening of general security.

The Nordic Council of Ministers is a forum for cooperation operating since the 1970s and related to the Nordic Council, to which five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) together with autonomous territories: Aladdzi Islands, Greenland and Faroe Islands.

From Helsinki Przemysław Molik (PAP)

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