Russia summons Finnish ambassador over Finland-US military accord

Finnish Ambassador Antti Helanterä has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry after an accord on defence cooperation between Washington and Helsinki, Gazeta.ru reported.

The ambassador was warned that Moscow would not leave unanswered NATO's military build-up on the border, which threatens Russia's security.

The United States and Finland signed a defence cooperation agreement (DCA) on December 18, enhancing military collaboration between the two countries by obligating Helsinki to open its military bases to USforces and allowing the two militaries to conduct joint training, among other measures.

During a signing ceremony at the US State Department, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the agreement, when becoming effective, will enable US and Finnish militaries to collaborate more efficiently and effectively, provide the troops with more opportunities to train together and bolster NATO's interoperability.

Finland officially became a NATO member in April.

The two countries have had security cooperation over the last three decades in areas like counter-terrorism, Blinken said, adding that such cooperation has also boosted Finland's defence capabilities, including through the recent purchase of F-35 fighter jets by Finland from the United States.