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With “Grüezi metenand”, Vesa Virtanen (56), chief of staff and deputy commander of the Finnish army, greets the Blick editor and his own press officer, who await the interview in a plainly furnished room of the Finnish Defense Command in Helsinki.
Virtanen knows Switzerland well because he has been friends with a family from the canton of Glarus since the 1970s. He says he is well acquainted with the Martinsloch, the Suworow House and of course Vreni Schneider.
General Virtanen is relieved. Finland has been an official member of NATO since Tuesday. Blick, he explains what membership means for his country and Europe – and how great he estimates the risk of Russian aggression.
General Virtanen, Finland joined NATO on Tuesday. Do you feel safer now?
Naturally. The main point is that our membership is preemptive and greatly raises the threshold to attack us. Until now we were on our own, now we are part of the big family.
What are the consequences of joining the military?
We have worked closely with NATO since the 1990s. What will be new to us is that we will have to defend not only our own country, but also the allied NATO countries.
How present is the Russian threat in the daily lives of Finns?
It is less about threats and more about the realization that beyond our eastern border lies Russia, with which we have been involved in several wars. This information is given to Finns in their breast milk.
How do you assess the current threat of Russian aggression towards Finland or other Western countries?
She is very small at the moment. The troops stationed on the Finnish border were withdrawn to Ukraine. But the situation can change at any time.
The membership of Finland, and probably later Sweden, changed NATO in Europe. How should the defense alliance position itself in the future?
When we, and later Sweden, join NATO, Northern Europe will no longer be a blank spot on the NATO map. Adjustments will have to be made. We are currently discussing chain of command.
Will Finland Become a Nuclear Weapon Site?
In general, we don’t rule anything out. But I don’t see any development that would require this.
Should other European countries arm themselves with nuclear weapons?
I don’t see any need for that at the moment.
The Kremlin reacted violently to the announcement of NATO membership, threatening to station nuclear weapons at the Finnish border. What reaction do you now expect from Russia?
It has been quiet so far and probably will stay that way. Moscow has already prepared for this and accepted that we would soon become a member of NATO.
The border with Russia is over 1300 kilometers long. How do you defend this vulnerability?
In peacetime, of course, not the entire border is secured with military units. We will then cooperate with the border guard. In case of danger, we mobilize troops and position them in specific locations. At the moment this is not the case.
Does your defense strategy include giving up certain areas when you are under attack and have no defense? As Switzerland would have done with the Reduit idea in World War II?
No. We are ready to defend every square meter of our land.
How do you think the war in Ukraine will end?
Nobody knows. But at the moment I don’t see a military solution to end the conflict. It will probably have to end in political negotiations.
How is Finland helping Ukraine?
We trained the Ukrainians and gave them a lot of equipment.
Which material?
We don’t reveal that, so the adversary doesn’t know what the Ukrainians get and what we don’t have anymore.
Weapons?
Yes. Also heavy weapons and ammunition and a lot of material such as tents. I cannot go into further detail.
Nowadays there is a Finnish-Swiss cooperation in the maintenance of the F/A-18. How do you see the future cooperation between the two armies?
There will also be cooperation on the maintenance of the F-35, which both countries have ordered.
Did this established cooperation play a role in the decision that both countries buy the same aircraft?
Not at all. It’s simply the best jet. We ordered 64 for about ten billion euros.
Swiss fighter pilots train here and there in Norway and Sweden. Would you also be welcome in Finland to practice aerial combat and night maneuvers, for which training in Switzerland is almost impossible?
Why not? We have very good training facilities.
Finland elected a new government on Sunday. What is changing towards the Finnish military and defense policy?
With Russia as our neighbour, in Finland we all have the same understanding of defense and security. This became apparent during the election campaign. The new cabinet will hardly change anything. It is the goal of all of us to ensure the security of our country.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
