NATO’s 2 per cent military spending benchmark is ‘self-evident’: Finnish president

The president of a NATO member state recently said the military alliance’s two per cent defense spending target seemed “clear” to him – despite a raging debate over the fact that most NATO members, including Canada, did not meet the target.

The interview aired on Sunday Rosemary Barton Live, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said that the Nordic countries are committed to the current level of defense spending – about two percent of GDP. NATO members pledged in 2006 to spend two percent of their national GDP on defense.

“I think it’s clear… For me, as Finns, we usually do what we agree on [to do],” Niinistö told host Rosemary Barton.

“It’s an agreement. To follow it is clear.”

An intelligence leak that became public last month reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had told ally Canada it would not honor NATO defense spending commitments.

Canada currently spends about 1.3 percent of its GDP on defense. Only a handful of NATO’s 31 member states — including the United States and the United Kingdom — spend two percent or more.

Finland applied to join NATO last year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It officially became a member last month.

Article Five of NATO’s North Atlantic Treaty states that “an armed attack against one or more [NATO members] in Europe or North America it would be considered an attack on everything.”

Niinistö, who served as Finland’s head of state for more than a decade, said pursuing membership was the right decision for his country. He added that Finland, which shares a 1,340 kilometer border with Russia, has a lot to contribute to NATO.

“Finland expands its security and, of course, is responsible for the security of others as well,” Niinistö said.

Like Canada, Finland is transitioning from the F/A-18 Hornet fighter to the F-35 Lightning. Niinistö said, international hockey rivalry aside, the two countries have a lot more in common.

“We always feel some similarities with our people, and we always have a very good relationship,” Niinistö said, referring to the two countries’ shared focus on Arctic security.

But unlike Canada, Finland has mandatory military service for male citizens. The Finnish Defense Forces train 22,000 conscripts each year, according to the Finnish military.

Niinistö said that the proportion of Finnish citizens with military training is higher than that of NATO countries. He added that he hoped that NATO member Finland would not face a war.

“I emphasize the preventive side of our alliance,” he said. “But we know very well that we must maintain a strong army.”

Sweden is waiting for members

Finland’s application to join NATO is part of a joint application with its Nordic neighbour, Sweden.

But Turkey has held up Sweden’s bid for NATO membership, saying that Stockholm supports Kurdish nationalist groups in Turkey. Sweden has strengthened its anti-terror laws to boost its prospects for joining NATO.

Niinistö said Finland was unhappy with the delay.

“We don’t want to separate from Sweden,” he said. “Finland’s membership is incomplete without Sweden and we do our best to promote Sweden.”