HELSINKI, April 4. /TASS/. Finland is not currently facing any military threat, but the Nordic country should be prepared for a sharp escalation of the security situation, newly appointed Finnish Defense Forces Commander Lieutenant General Janne Jaakkola said at his first press conference.
"There is no military threat to Finland. However, we must be prepared for a deteriorating security situation to continue for a long time, and if the situation changes, we must react quickly," he said, citing the refugee situation on the Finnish-Russian border as an example.
The top defense official opined it is unlikely that under current circumstances Russia would seek to "test NATO's Article Five," which obligates the North Atlantic allies to come to the defense of other member states in the event of an attack on them.
Jaakkola took office on April 1 as Helsinki’s top military commander and will serve a five-year term.