Mon Sep 16 15:34:03 UTC 2024: ## Sweden to Lead NATO Headquarters in Northern Finland

**STOCKHOLM, September 16, 2024** – Sweden will take charge of a new NATO headquarters in northern Finland, bolstering the alliance’s defenses against neighboring Russia, Swedish and Finnish defense ministers announced today.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson and his Finnish counterpart Antti Häkkänen unveiled the plans during a joint press briefing in Stockholm. The headquarters, located in the Lapland region, will facilitate rapid NATO reinforcements in case of a conflict with Russia.

“The Swedish government has the ambition to take on a role as framework nation for forward land forces in Finland,” Jonson stated. “We are honored by this task.”

This development follows Finland and Sweden’s historic entry into NATO in 2023 and 2024, respectively, marking the end of their long-standing military non-alignment policies.

The new headquarters is part of NATO’s efforts to strengthen its eastern flank, creating multinational battle groups from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

“It could mean that we take responsibility for planning the defense of Finland. Above all, we need to second staff officers and increase exercises together with Finland,” Jonson told Swedish broadcaster TV4 Nyheter.

While no final decision on the readiness of the headquarters has been made, both Finnish and Swedish authorities anticipate it could be operational by 2026.

“I envisage that [the headquarters] could be in place in one to two years,” Jonson told Reuters.

While Finland is not expected to host a permanent multinational force in peacetime, NATO countries will send units for exercises, ensuring quick deployment in the event of war in Lapland.

The exact composition of the multinational force remains unclear, though Sweden is likely to form the backbone. The two countries already have plans for a Swedish brigade to support Finland in the north.

In addition to the headquarters, Finland may also host a NATO ground operations center.

“It is clear that this is an expression of the strong defense cooperation that exists between Sweden and Finland, which has grown strongly over many years and is also reinforced by the deep Nordic defense cooperation,” Jonson concluded.

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