Jukka Kopra (NCP), the chairperson of the Parliament’s Defence Committee, at a news conference in Helsinki on 3 January 2025. Kopra on Thursday told YLE that Finland has no need to raise its defence spending to five per cent of gross domestic product due to the excellent state of its defence capacities. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)
- Next Article HS: Social Democrats opens five-point lead over National Coalition
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump stated that Nato member states should increase their defence spending to five per cent of gross domestic product – more than double the current target of two per cent – in a speech delivered in Davos on Thursday.
In Finland, defence spending has equalled 2.4 per cent of gross domestic product.
Jukka Kopra (NCP), the chairperson of the Parliament’s Defence Committee, told YLE on Thursday that he does not consider it necessary to raise the spending to five per cent given the “excellent state” of national defence capabilities. Even if Finland decided to invest in new weapons systems, he added, the delivery times are so long that it could take years before the orders translated to actual spending.
“In Finnish circumstances it wouldn’t be purposeful at least in the short or medium term – nor would be be for the alliance’s defence – to drag the share of defence spending to five per cent given that we can get great performance also with less money,” he commented to the public broadcasting company.
“Additional investment in European Nato countries’ defence capabilities is absolutely necessary. But what the percentage will be is another question.”
Kopra also estimated that a categorical demand for five per cent would be unfeasible for some member states, such as Portugal and Spain. The former is currently spending 1.55 per cent and the latter 1.28 per cent of its gross domestic product on defence, according to data gathered by YLE.
Currently 8 of the 32 Nato member states are spending less than two per cent on defence. The US has a defence budget that equals 3.38 per cent of its gross domestic product, a share that is trumped by Estonia (3.43%) and Poland (4.12%).
Although the US is the largest member state in the defence alliance, Trump alone cannot make the decision on raising the target to five per cent, according to Kopra. “It’s a Nato consensus decision that’d have to be made in the meeting next summer in the Hague, if it was to be made,” he explained.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
- Next Article HS: Social Democrats opens five-point lead over National Coalition
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
