Finland responds to US survey of allies on defense
Finland responded to a questionnaire sent by the United States to NATO allies, in which Washington sought to determine its partners’ positions on supporting US foreign policy. As YLE News reports, the Pentagon distributed the document in July, while Finland’s response was prepared by the Ministry of Defence with the participation of the Foreign Ministry, the Office of the President and the government.
According to YLE sources, the United States also sought countries’ views on participation in NATO, as well as on shifting a larger share of defense costs and responsibility to European states. Most of the questions directly concerned defense. When asked about relations with the United States, Finland provided a general description of those relations.
A response based on existing decisions
A YLE source described the tone of the Finnish document as fact-based rather than flattering. The questionnaires themselves and Finland’s response to them have not been made public.
According to YLE, Finland relied on existing political guidelines and approved plans, including the Defence Forces development programme and budget decisions. The country did not put forward new positions, but set out approaches already in place.
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Finland is among the European NATO members with one of the highest levels of defense spending and plans to increase it to the Alliance’s target of 3.5% of gross domestic product. It is purchasing new fighter jets from the United States and continues defense cooperation with the United States.
Talks in Brussels
In July, Bloomberg called the US letter a “loyalty survey.” As YLE notes, the questionnaire is linked to US plans to reduce the number of its troops in European countries that, in Washington’s view, invest insufficiently in their own defense or do not support US foreign policy.
Last week, US official Elbridge Colby, who is involved in planning the new US defense policy, discussed the NATO 3.0 concept and US troops in Europe with allies in Brussels. Diplomats described the atmosphere of the meeting as constructive.
