Poland, Finland deepen defence cooperation amid Baltic security concerns

Poland and Finland have agreed to deepen military cooperation within the frameworks of NATO and the European Union following high-level defence talks in Warsaw, Poland’s Ministry of National Defence said.

The discussions were held between Poland’s State Secretary for Defence, Paweł Zalewski, and Finland’s Defence Minister, Antti Häkkänen, along with other representatives of the Finnish defence ministry, Caliber.Az reports. 

According to the Polish ministry, the talks focused on assessing the current security environment, particularly in the Baltic Sea region, amid heightened tensions on NATO’s eastern flank. The two sides reviewed prospects for expanding bilateral military cooperation and strengthening coordination within NATO and the EU, especially in operational planning.

Officials also discussed efforts to counter hybrid threats, including cyber and information warfare, and explored ways to enhance the defence capabilities of both countries’ armed forces through multinational combat readiness programmes.

Particular attention was given to the Eastern Flank Watch initiative, described by the ministry as one of the European Union’s flagship defence projects. Poland and Finland are playing leading roles in the programme, which aims to bolster the ability of eastern flank nations to respond to a broad spectrum of security threats.

By Sabina Mammadli