Four NATO warships enter Helsinki

Four ships of the NATO member countries - the USA, Germany and France entered the port of the capital of Finland.

The ships entered Helsinki after participating in exercises in the Baltic Sea, European Truth reports, quoting Yle.

Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen noted that the visit of these ships was agreed upon even before Finland decided to apply for NATO membership, but the presence of these allied ships in Finland's territorial waters is a powerful signal.

On May 28, the Finnish Defence Ministry announced an increase in the number of planned military exercises with the participation of international partners by eight and up to 20 by the end of 2022, against the background of a "window of uncertainty" in connection with the consideration of the country's application to join NATO.

"While the process of reviewing our application is going on, we will strengthen cooperation with partners. This is reflected, among other things, in the fact that we will train more with our closest partners, and there will be more visits in the coming months… This is a clear signal of support for Finland, and it also contributes to strengthening our defence capability," Antti Kaikkonen said.