The Finnish government plans to approve an increase in defense spending by mid-April, Finnish Finance Minister Riikka Purra announced, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.
Purra expects that NATO’s target for defense spending among member states could rise to 3–3.5% of GDP. She emphasized that the upcoming decision on increasing the military budget will take into account not only NATO requirements but also Finland’s national priorities. Currently, Finland’s annual defense budget amounts to approximately €6.3 billion, or 2.4% of GDP.
Earlier, Finland announced its 28th military aid package for Ukraine, valued at €200 million. In January, the country had already sent a 27th package of military support for a similar amount.
According to media reports, Finland is actively preparing for a possible scenario in which the United States may refuse to uphold Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which stipulates collective defense by member states in the event of an attack on one of them.
