Finland’s security environment changed fundamentally when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. After the invasion, Finland reassessed its security policy situation and applied for NATO membership.
Finland became a full member of NATO on 4 April 2023.
Through NATO membership, Finland is a part of NATO's collective defence and, thus, is covered by the security guarantees enshrined in Article 5 of the Treaty. NATO’s collective defence is based on an integrated military command structure, a collective defence planning process and exercises. This way, NATO can defend its member countries should the need arise.
NATO currently has 31 member countries, 22 of which are also EU Member States.
Frequently asked questions about Finland’s NATO membership
The most significant right and obligation under the North Atlantic Treaty, i.e. the Washington Convention, is collective defence under Article 5. It encapsulates the idea of NATO’s existence: an attack against one member country is an attack against all member countries. It also culminates in the most significant impact of Finland’s NATO membership: Finland is part of NATO’s collective defence and deterrence and covered by the security guarantees enshrined in Article 5.
Membership in NATO increases the preventive deterrence of Finland’s defence, as it is supported by the military power of the entire Alliance, ultimately by the United States’ nuclear weapons. However, if Finland became a target of military force, it would defend itself with the support of the Alliance based on collective defence arrangements, prepared and rehearsed in advance. NATO’s capability for collective defence is based on a common defence planning process, operational plans, integrated military command structure and joint exercises.
NATO has decided that Article 5 can also be introduced in the case of cyber or other hybrid attacks if the North Atlantic Council unanimously so decides.
Finland, like all other member countries, has an obligation to participate in the tasks of Article 5 and provide support to an ally or allies under attack. Article 5 obliges each member country to assist the targeted member country in the manner it deems necessary, including the use of force. This means that each member country determines in which form and to what extent this would be done.
Article 5 applies only to collective defence. In addition, crisis management and collaborative security are among NATO’s main tasks.
Participation in crisis management, promotion of stability and other NATO peacetime collective defence tasks outside Article 5 is voluntary.
As a member of NATO, Finland continues to participate in NATO’s crisis management activities on a case by case basis. As a partner country, Finland has participated in NATO’s crisis management operations in the Western Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq, and Finland currently participates in two NATO-led crisis management operations, the KFOR operation in Kosovo and the NMI operation in Iraq.
NATO’s capabilities consist of the national armed forces and capabilities of the member countries. According to Article 3 of the North Atlantic Treaty, each member country must maintain and develop capacities, both individually and collectively, to repel an attack.
As a member of NATO, Finland still needs a strong national defence capability, and it decides independently on the principles for implementing its defence. General conscription and a strong will to defend the country continue to be the cornerstones of national defence.
As a member country, Finland’s defence is integrated into the Alliance’s collective defence. NATO countries must develop their military interoperability and participate in all activities of the Alliance with reasonable inputs in view of their size and economic performance.
Membership in NATO gives Finland access to the planning and implementation of collective defence in accordance with Article 5 and it joins NATO’s operational plans and the required leadership structures and systems. Finland participates more extensively in NATO’s exercises, including Article 5 exercises. Cooperation in sharing and receiving air and maritime situational awareness deepens, and Finland is part of NATO’s common air and missile defence system.
Finland sends personnel to work in NATO’s command and force structure, agencies, the International Secretariat at NATO Headquarters and the International Military Secretariat. More resources will be allocated to NATO activities also at the national level.
NATO member countries have full autonomy over the military activities, bases or equipment they accept to take on their territory.
NATO membership means wide-ranging security and defence cooperation and common political commitment to the objectives of the Alliance. As a member country, Finland participates fully in the planning, preparation and decision-making of the Alliance and thus influences issues concerning its own security environment.
Each country decides on the amount and allocation of its defence appropriations. While Finland’s defence expenditure is proportionate to the needs of Finland’s defence, as NATO’s member country, Finland commits to the defence appropriations target, according to which defence appropriations should account for two per cent of a member country’s GDP. This target will be met in the coming years as Finland has decided on F-35 multi-role fighters and the Squadron 2020 project. Remaining at the two per cent level at the end of the 2020s requires new decisions and significant additional resources.
Direct additional costs of NATO membership include, for example, participation in the financing of NATO’s collective budgets and secondment of personnel to NATO’s military command and force structure. In addition, membership brings costs related to the national defence system, including the development of command and control systems and the need for more personnel. Participation in NATO's peacetime tasks such as air surveillance, operations and capability projects mean also increased costs.
It is also the responsibility of each member country to ensure that the necessary legislative basis is in place. The same requirement goes for security and information management and operating practices.
Finland’s membership in NATO increases stability in the Baltic Sea region and strengthens the security of the whole of Europe.
It supports the Alliance’s defence and simplifies its planning in the Baltic Sea and Nordic regions. Relative to its size, Finland has viable defence forces, which have been systematically developed over decades, high crisis resilience as a society and, by international standards, a very strong will to defend the country. Finland contributes significantly to NATO’s defence.
The training of conscripts is continuously developed as part of the development of the Defence Forces’ activities. The grounds for conscript training and women’s voluntary military service will not change as a result of NATO membership.
The main task of the NATO defence planning process (NDPP) is to ensure that NATO as a whole has the necessary forces and capabilities to carry out its tasks. The process is implemented in consecutive four-year planning cycles.
Integration into NATO’s defence planning process has already begun during Finland’s observer membership. As part of the process, NATO prepares a capability target package for Finland and conducts a country-specific assessment. Finland reconciles its national defence planning with NATO’s defence planning process. The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the defence planning process.
Learn more about the NATO defence planning process on the NATO website.