A Defense Cooperation Agreement will enable rapid and effective collective action between Finland and NATO allies, but the negotiations will also bring up new and complicated questions over US rights, obligations, and territorial access.[…]
These agreements provide the general conditions and rules under which the US forces can enter and operate in a host country during joint exercises and training, for example. Most recently, Norway concluded an updated agreement in 2022. Finland, Sweden, and Denmark are currently also engaged in negotiations to update their respective agreements with the US. […]
Further, cooperation with the US air and land forces, or with elements such as special forces or intelligence, would benefit from an agreed framework. However, negotiations are likely to be long and complex because they involve questions related to sovereignty and jurisdiction to an extent that Finland has not been used to. Based on Norwegian experiences, these likely include the rights andobligations of US force members in Finland and US security planning in certain locations.
At the core of the DCA are socalled Agreed Areas, locations meant for unrestricted joint access by both the host nation and US forces. These areas can be used, for example, for training logistics an storing military materiel. Within Agreed Areas, some locations can be designated for exclusive access and use only by US forces. These could involve locations with critical US communications or intelligence
equipment. This type of sustained US presence and infrastructure on Finnish soil will be a new phenomenon for Finland. Läs artikel
Läs också kommentar tidigare på den här sajten till USA:s förhandlingar om försvarssamarbete (DCA).