Finland and the United States have signed a bilateral defense cooperation pact pledging closer military collaboration at the time when the Nordic country is increasingly concerned over Russia’s activities in the Baltic Sea region. (Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva via AP) FINLAND OUT - NO SALES (Associated Press)HELSINKI — Finland and the United States have signed a bilateral defense cooperation pact pledging closer military collaboration at the time when the Nordic country is increasingly concerned over Russia’s activities in the Baltic Sea region. “Unfortunately these (Russian air intrusions) are becoming a norm rather than an exception,” Work told a news conference after the meeting. “It’s hard for me to fathom that Russia would consider Finland a threat in anyway, and activities like these are hard to understand.”Finland’s close Nordic neighbor Sweden concluded a similar kind of military pact with the United States in June. Non-NATO members Finland and Sweden each struck such a defense cooperation deal also with Britain earlier this year.

Source: Washington Post October 07, 2016 11:15 UTC