US due to sign deal to gain access to Finnish military bases on Russian border
The United States and Finland are signing a defence cooperation agreement which will give the US military access across the Nordic country and its border with Russia.
This will allow the US swift military access and aid to Finland in case of any conflict.
There are currently 15 facilities listed in Finland to which the US will have full access, also offering US forces the ability to store military equipment and ammunition there.
The agreement includes four air bases, a military port and railway access to northern Finland, where the US will have a storage area alongside a railway that leads up to the Russian border.
Along with signing the defence agreement, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtone will travel to Washington Dc where she will discuss bilateral relations between the two nations, topical Nato matters and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Finland became the newest member of the Nato military alliance earlier this year in response to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The US has signed similar agreements with Nato members Norway, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia.
A deal with Denmark is currently pending approval.
A spokesperson for the Kremlin said the deal would "certainly lead to tension".
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