A few days ago, Finland and Turkey signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their ties in the areas of military technology and joint arms production. The memorandum of understanding was signed by Olli Ruutu, Finland’s National Armaments Director, and Haluk Görgün, the head of Turkey’s Defence Industry Presidency. The agreement covers co-production, capability development, and technology sharing between the two NATO members. Finland is concerned about Russia’s military build-up along their shared border of 1,340 kilometres, after satellite surveys in March revealed an increase in Moscow’s military presence on the Nordic country’s border, including the deployment of military vehicles, construction of air-raid shelters and reactivation of a disused helicopter base. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland has significantly increased its defence funding. In 2023, the country’s military expenditure increased by 18% to €6 billion — one of the highest growth rates in Europe. Helsinki has also reintroduced large-scale exercises and expanded its presence in NATO’s command and planning systems.