(Bloomberg) -- Reservists making up Finland's 280,000 strong war-time troops are to undergo more training as the government maps out how to beef up its defenses.
The need for additional training has become more acute after Finland's neighbor Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February, and given a normal training schedule was not upheld during the pandemic, Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen told reporters in Helsinki on Tuesday. The increase in training entails “significant” extra spending, he said.
The defense forces of Finland, a country of 5.5 million people, have a reserve of about 900,000 citizens.
The Nordic country will also spend more on weapons, planning procurements quickly before lead times are extended and prices rise from increased demand across Europe, Kaikkonen said.
“Finland does not want to be in a position of not being sufficiently prepared,” Prime Minister Sanna Marin said, ahead of two-day talks on a multi-year spending framework. The ministers plan to announce exact spending plans on Wednesday, she said.
Read More: How Russia Pushed Finland and Sweden Toward NATO: QuickTake
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