Three NATO warships reach Finland for two-day training exercise


FE Team | Published: April 25, 2022 20:53:23 | Updated: April 28, 2022 20:33:11


Three NATO warships arriving in the Finnish southwestern coastal city of Turku on Monday to train with Finland's coastal fleet –Reuters photo

Three NATO warships reached the southwestern Finnish port of Turku on Monday to train with Finland's navy as Helsinki considers the possibility of joining the US-led alliance amid increased tensions with Russia over Ukraine.

Latvian minelayer LVNS Virsaitis and minehunters Estonian ENS Sakala and Dutch HNLMS Schiedam will train with two minehunters from Finland's coastal fleet, the Finnish defence forces said in a statement.

The two-day exercise, set to commence on April 28, will prepare the Finnish ships to take part in NATO response forces in 2022 and focus on "mine countermeasures and working in a multinational framework", reports Reuters citing the statement said.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on April 13 that her country would take a decision in the next few weeks about whether to apply to join NATO, prompting an angry response from Russia. read more

Finland and neighbouring Sweden are close partners with NATO but have shied away from joining the 30-member alliance, founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Marin said the option to join NATO had to be carefully analysed but that everything had changed since Russian forces started military actions in Ukraine on Feb. 24. Finland shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) land border with Russia.

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