Italy-Finland Defence Cooperation: Crosetto and Häkkänen Focus on Baltic, Arctic and High North
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has held talks in Helsinki with his Finnish counterpart Antti Häkkänen on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, with NATO’s eastern flank and the strategic role of the Baltic, the Arctic and the High North at the top of the agenda. Italy’s Ministry of Defence published Crosetto’s statement at the end of his official visit to Finland on its official X account on 28 October 2026.
- Meeting: Guido Crosetto and Antti Häkkänen, Helsinki, 28 October 2026
- Focus: NATO’s eastern flank, the Baltic, the Arctic and the High North
- Italian contributions cited: Exercise Cold Response 2026, NATO Air Policing, eastern flank deployments and the research ship Alliance
- Industrial cooperation: space, maritime and underwater sectors
- Visit follows Crosetto’s talks in Norway on 27 October
Eastern flank and northern security
According to the Italian ministry, the two ministers discussed the Alliance’s eastern flank and the central strategic role of the Baltic, Arctic and High North for security, navigation and the protection of trade routes and critical resources. The talks were described as productive and held in a spirit of full mutual understanding.
Finland, which joined NATO in April 2023, shares a land border of around 1,340 km with Russia and has become a key ally for the Alliance’s northern posture.
Italy’s commitment in the region
Crosetto said Italy’s concrete commitment to the region was reaffirmed during the meeting. He cited the participation of the Italian Armed Forces in NATO exercises such as Cold Response 2026, Air Policing missions to defend allied airspace, and Italy’s presence on the eastern flank, where the ministry says Italy is the top contributor. He also pointed to scientific research carried out with the ship Alliance.
European defence complementary to NATO
The ministers confirmed a shared commitment to building a European defence that complements NATO, based on closer political coordination, common requirements, integrated capabilities, military mobility and adequate financial instruments. Considerable attention was also paid to countering hybrid threats, cognitive warfare and disinformation, according to the statement.
Industrial and technological cooperation
Finally, Crosetto said the two sides paid particular attention to industrial and technological cooperation in the space, maritime and underwater sectors, with the aim of consolidating the European defence industrial base and developing common capabilities.
The Helsinki talks came a day after Crosetto met Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik in a meeting that also focused on Arctic security.
Featured image: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Coover / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
