The U.S. government has approved a $380 million (360 million euros) sale of missiles to Finland, a few days after another delivery of similar weaponry worth $232 million (220 million euros).
«It is vital to the U.S. national interest to help Finland develop and maintain a ready and strong self-defense capability,» the State Department justified in a statement detailing that the arsenal consists of Stinger anti-aircraft shoulder-fired missiles.
«The proposed sale will enhance Finland’s defense and deterrence capabilities,» explains the State Department, which intends to use these defense materials and services «to augment its national stockpile.»
For Washington, this sale will serve to strengthen ground and air defense capabilities on Europe’s northern flank, at a time when Finland is also seeking definitive NATO membership, as is Sweden, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
