Press releases and news

Finland's Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen has chosen Rovaniemi as the location for NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) Multinational Staff Element (MNSE).

NATO approved Finland’s proposal to host a Deployable CIS Module.

Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen will attend the meeting of EU defence ministers and the meeting of NATO defence ministers, as well as the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and the defence ministers’ meeting of the Nordic Defence Cooperation. After these meetings in Brussels, Minister Häkkänen will continue to the Munich Security Conference.

Norway and the United Kingdom have joined the Research and Development (R&D) Agreement of the multinational Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) Programme, which aims to develop and deliver modern 6x6 vehicles.

Finland will deliver its 32nd materiel assistance package to Ukraine. The President of the Republic decided on the matter on 5 February 2026 on the proposal of the Government.

Finland will contribute to NATO’s peacetime maritime activities in 2027. In its plenary session on 29 January 2026, the Finnish Government endorsed a report, presented by Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, on the Finnish Defence Forces’ participation in NATO’s collective peacetime activities in 2027.

On 10 December 2024, the Finnish Ministry of Defence set up a project to examine the need to amend the Act on the Expropriation of Immovable Property and Special Rights to Ensure National Security and related legislation. The objective was to draw an overview of how the current legislation should be amended to ensure fair and effective safeguarding of real estate critical to national security.

A new NATO accelerator site was inaugurated in Espoo, Finland, on 22 January 2026. Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen gave a speech at the event.

Finland will deliver its 31st materiel assistance package to Ukraine. A decision on the matter was made by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the the Government on 16th January 2026.

The Government of Greenland and the Danish Ministry of Defence have decided to continue the Danish-led joint exercise in Greenland in close cooperation with NATO Allies. On Denmark’s request, Finland will send two liaison officers to Greenland on a reconnaissance mission to explore exercise opportunities.

Finland’s withdrawal from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) took effect on 10 January 2026. The Finnish defence administration will start planning the reintroduction of anti-personnel mines into the range of Finland’s defence capabilities.

Sweden will procure SAR satellites from the Finnish company ICEYE Oy.

Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention will take effect on 10 January. Finland remains committed to the humanitarian objectives of the Ottawa Convention.

Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen and General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO, met in Finland on Friday 9 January 2026. They also visited the Vaalimaa border crossing point at Finland’s eastern border.