Kaikkonen, Ollongren discuss Finland´s NATO membership possibility

Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen and his Dutch counterpart Kajsa Ollongren on Tuesday met in Helsinki and discussed various bilateral and international issues including Finland’s possible NATO membership and Russia´s attack on Ukraine.

“Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen spoke with Dutch college Kajsa Ollongren today (Tuesday). The Ministers discussed the current state of the Russian attack on Ukraine,” the Ministry of Defence wrote in a twitter post after the meeting.

”We strongly support Ukraine in its efforts to defend sovereignty and freedom,” the twitter post added, quoting Kaikkonen as saying.

“Have just spoken to my Finnish counterpart Antti Kaikkonen about the situation in Ukraine and Finland’s possible NATO membership. I am impressed by the Finland´s 'Whole of Society' approach, through which the entire population is very well prepared for crisis situations,” Ollongren wrote in her twitter after the meeting on Tuesday.

They also discussed the impact of Russia’s attack on the security situation in Europe and bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation.

Meanwhile, the President and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy at a meeting on Tuesday finalised the report on changes in the security environment, said an official press release.

The report will be submitted to Parliament once it has been endorsed in the government plenary session.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sanna Marin is scheduled to meet with her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson in Stockholm on Wednesday, said a government press release.

Discussions between the Premiers will focus on the changed security environment in Europe and the security policy debate in Finland and Sweden.