The government has unveiled Finland's first Defence Report since the country joined Nato and since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine. The previous such report was published in 2021.
The report, submitted to Parliament on Thursday, includes guidelines that extend into the 2030s.
According to the document, Russia has "stepped towards a more open, unpredictable and protracted confrontation with the West" and will "continue to pose a long-term security threat to Europe and Finland".
At a press conference in Helsinki on Thursday, Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) said that the security situation is serious and difficult to predict, with the report noting that the security situation could deteriorate quickly.
No rapid improvement is expected, even if active military operations in Ukraine end. Russia remains Finland’s central security threat, Häkkänen said, adding that Russia’s intensified cooperation with North Korea, Iran and China represented a dangerous development.
According to the minister, however, the threat of war is reduced by Finland's Nato membership, which has strengthened deterrence.
Häkkänen said that Finland's defence capabilities will be broadly strengthened.
"We will strengthen Finland’s ability to counter broad-spectrum influencing, resist military pressure and fight potential large-scale wars that could drag on for years. We will reform national defence while also bringing the major ongoing projects in our Air Force and Navy to the finish line," he said in a statement.
"Military service, a large reserve, and a strong will to defend the nation will remain the foundation on which Finland’s defence is built," Häkkänen said.
No major changes are expected in Finland's compulsory male conscription policy, but measures are planned to encourage more young women to sign up for voluntary military service.
Häkkänen pointed out that the report was prepared in dialogue with all parties in Parliament in order to ensure a strong consensus.
The ministry has steered preparation of the report since late 2023 in consultation with a cross-government working group, including close cooperation with a parliamentary monitoring group for over a year.
2.4% of GDP on defence
Finland has announced a number of major arms purchases in recent years, the largest of which is a fleet of F-35 fighter jets from the United States. Finland is buying 64 such fighters, with a price tag of around nine billion euros.
Finland currently spends about 2.4 percent of its GDP on defence. Spending by Nato member states is expected to increase in the future. Pressure is also increasing as incoming US President Donald Trump demands that Nato countries spend more on weapons.