The Evolution and Significance of Finnish-US Defence Cooperation

This chapter addresses the evolution and significance of Finnish-US defence cooperation from an empirical perspective, focusing on changes in the ends, ways and means of this cooperation since 2022. Bilateral defence cooperation with the United States has been a significant element of Finland’s approach to building security since the 1990s. Finland has built a network of defence cooperation partnerships that complement each other. The NATO accession process has influenced Finland’s approach to defence cooperation. Both bilateral and multilateral forms of defence cooperation have shifted towards the ability to conduct military operations and achievement of interoperability. What has remained constant is that Finnish defence cooperation has been consistently pragmatic, and Finland has always seen itself as a producer of security rather than merely a consumer of security.