Lithuanian Defense Minister Highlights Finland's Total Defense Concept

Upon returning from a significant official visit to Finland, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė shed light on Finland's thorough preparations aimed at safeguarding against potential high-intensity invasions. During her trip, Šakalienė engaged in insightful discussions with Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen and Jukka Kopra, the Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Finnish Parliament. These talks centered around Finland’s innovative “total defense” concept, which serves as a model for countries in Central and Eastern Europe facing looming threats.

Total Defense: A Unified Approach

Minister Šakalienė expressed appreciation for Finland's unique approach to national defense, which integrates the idea of societal duty. In Finland, national defense is not only a governmental responsibility but a collective societal effort. The country offers regular training courses designed to empower citizens, with many viewing this participation as a privilege. This commitment has led to a notable statistic: approximately 80% of Finns are prepared to defend their nation militarily.

Šakalienė emphasized the importance of crisis preparedness during her discussions, exploring Finland's total defense principles and best practices that have been developed to enhance national resilience. She articulated her belief in the effectiveness of Finland's strategy, stating, “When you’ve done everything you can to ensure your country is ready for any scenario – then you can feel calm & confident.”

Support for NATO and Transatlantic Relations

The dialogue between the ministers also addressed the enhancement of European defense capabilities and the urgency of increasing defense spending. Šakalienė identified the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague as a crucial opportunity for European nations to address emerging threats and improve their defensive readiness.

Furthermore, she highlighted the need for a strong United States presence in the region, viewing it as essential for effective deterrence against Russia. In her remarks shared on social media platform X, she stressed the importance of collaborative defense efforts that could fortify the security landscape of Europe.

Collaboration on Ukraine's Defense

Another significant area of discussion was the ongoing support for Ukraine. The Nordic-Baltic countries, including Lithuania and Finland, pledged to provide essential training and equipment to bolster a brigade-sized unit in Ukraine. This commitment to collaboration extends to the development of a defense industry tailored to meet urgent needs in the embattled nation.

Following her meeting, Minister Häkkänen reflected on the productive discussions, mentioning the strengthening of defense cooperation between Finland and Lithuania, especially in relation to support for Ukraine and responses to security challenges in the Baltic Sea region.

Exploring Defense Initiatives

During her visit, Šakalienė also met with Dag Schjerven, vice chair of Nammo AS, a leader in the Scandinavian defense industry known for its precision ammunition. Her itinerary included a visit to the renowned Jaeger Brigade, further exploring potential avenues for Lithuania to enhance its military strategies.

Lithuania aims to deepen its cooperation with Finland, aspiring to learn from its successful total defense experiences and engage in expert-level consultations regarding military engineering tactics, including mine-use strategies.

Strengthening Defense Resilience

In Finland, active participation in defense efforts is widely seen, with most men aged 18 to 60 engaged in active service, reserves, or auxiliary reserves. Each year, the Finnish Defence Forces train approximately 22,000 new soldiers, including around 1,000 women, reflecting a comprehensive commitment to national security and societal resilience.

The collaboration between Lithuania and Finland marks an important step toward reinforcing national defense capabilities in the face of evolving security challenges in Europe. As both nations strive for greater resilience, their partnership is seen as a vital element in addressing shared defense goals and ensuring regional stability.