Finland plans to sign an agreement on military cooperation with Washington before the presidential elections in the USA. Reuters quoted Finland’s Defense Minister Jussi Niinistö in its report.

According to Niinistö, the framework agreement, carried out against the backdrop of growing discontent in the Nordic countries with the Russian military activity in the region, will not contain obligations for military assistance, which would imply NATO membership.

"It will cover areas in which we already work together, such as military training, exchange of information and research activities", the Minister said. He noted that Finland aims to conclude an agreement with the United States before the presidential elections in November of this year.

Sweden had already signed the agreement on military cooperation with the United States in the past and its parliament gave NATO wider access to exercises in the country in May.

Earlier, the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, said in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that the country cannot give up the opportunity to apply for membership in NATO, as it is a "security policy tool."

Afterwards, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the statement of the Finnish leader, making it clear that if Finland enters NATO, the situation will change.

"Imagine that Finland joins NATO. This means that Finnish troops will no longer be sovereign. They will become part of NATO's military infrastructure, which will find itself on the borders of the Russian Federation,” Putin said. “Do you think we have to continue acting the same way? Leave it like that after having withdrawn our troops 1.5 thousand kilometers away?"

  Finland, NATO

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