Poland’s Chief of Defence visited Finland

Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Wiesław Kukuła visited Finland 19-20 August. He was hosted by the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, General Janne Jaakkola. Some of the key themes of the visit were the current situation of security environment, capability development and cooperation between Finland and Poland.

- Poland's security begins in Finland. The military experience of Finland, a NATO member since 2023, is an important source of knowledge for the Alliance in building resilience and defense capabilities, and its presence significantly strengthens the security of NATO's eastern flank, noted General Kukuła.

During the visit General Jaakkola highlighted the importance of practical bilateral and multilateral cooperation:

- We share a similar security environment and understanding of its risks, strong national defence and common responsibility for the defence of NATO's eastern flank. Polish and Finnish troops are already training together for example in land and air operations, fires and other collective defence tasks.

He also emphasized the importance of learning:

-The scale and rapid development of the Polish Armed Forces and the Finnish system based on its reserve, readiness and long-term preparedness offer a natural basis for exchanging experiences.

The generals visited the Coastal Brigade, where General Kukuła observed conscript training, maritime surveillance training and activities of Utti Jaeger Regiment.