Finnish Defence Minister calls for Defence Spending Increase

, Seppo Kaariainen (centre), the Finnish defence minister, repeated at the opening of the 179th National Defence Course on Monday that defence spending should be increased in order to maintain military capability and to secure the conscription-based defence system. 
 
Mr Kaariainen, speaking at the House of the Estates in Helsinki, added that such a spending boost would be “a sort of defence-supporting social money” and reminded his audience that the government had managed to conjure up an extra 200 million euros to buy weapons to replace anti-personnel landmines. 
 
“I hope that a similar brand of responsible realism can be found at government tables when defence decisions reaching 10-15 years into the future are made,” Mr Kaariainen said. 
 
Repeating a controversial statement he made last week, the minister said Finland faced two choices as weapons and equipment got more expensive: increase defence spending or join Nato.