Finland shifts to secrecy in arms exports, citing security concerns

Finland has begun classifying information related to its arms exports, marking a significant departure from previous transparency practices.

This shift has coincided with a rise in secret arms shipments—most frequently to Ukraine—and has sparked a debate about government accountability and the evolving geopolitical landscape, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

Between 2000 and 2020, all arms export licenses issued by Finland were public. However, the first classified export license was granted in June 2021. Since then, 19 such licenses have been issued to eight different countries. Among the nations requesting secrecy around Finnish arms exports is Israel, while Ukraine is cited as the most frequent recipient of classified shipments.

“From 2000 to 2020, there was not a single decision to grant an export license that required classification,” said Kari Paasonen, an expert at the Center for Peace and Conflict Research.

The Finnish Ministry of Defense has justified this new classification policy as a response to changing global security dynamics. In recent years, Finland has exported armored personnel carriers and anti-drone defense systems to various international partners. The growing secrecy surrounding such transactions, however, raises concerns about democratic oversight.

“Arms exports are a political decision. Almost all information about them comes from the authorities. If the authorities share less information, citizens have fewer opportunities to evaluate the actions of their country's leaders,” Paasonen warned.

The move toward greater secrecy also aligns with broader defense discussions within the European Union. Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen, recently highlighted the need for strategic clarity from the United States regarding future military commitments in Europe.

“The European Union must receive a roadmap from the US outlining how to act in the event of a US troop withdrawal from the European continent,” Häkkänen stated.

He emphasized that coordination between US and EU defense initiatives is essential to avoid creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited by adversaries. “A clear roadmap is necessary to ensure that Russia is left with no window of opportunity to try anything,” he added.

By Vafa Guliyeva