Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: An Israeli drone attacked the main road in the town of Harouf, South Lebanon.
Lebanese President: Israeli aggression on Blida took place in aftermath of meeting of ceasefire monitoring committee.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asks Commander of Lebanese Army to confront any Israeli incursion into liberated Lebanese territory in the South.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli aircraft launch series of strikes on area of Jarmaq, South Lebanon.
Reuters: Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to restart peace talks in Istanbul.
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Blida municipality building two hours after occupying it, and the Lebanese army enters
Pakistani army: 6 soldiers and 7 militants killed in clash near the Afghan border
Israeli media: Sirens sound in the settlement of Kerem Shalom in the Gaza envelope area
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: We still believe in dialogue and prioritize diplomatic solutions with Pakistan; though we are ready for all possibilities.
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: Pakistan purposely obstructed negotiations in Turkey by making unrealistic demands.

Finland's military spending rises to Cold War levels as it joins NATO

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 25 Apr 2023 10:49
  • 2 Shares
2 Min Read

Finland witnesses its highest year-on-year increase in defense spending since 1962.

  • x
  •  American soldier shows soldier from the Finnish Army an AT-4 anti-armor weapon. (US army)
    US soldier shows a soldier from the Finnish Army an AT-4 anti-armor weapon. (US army)

Finland's military spending has increased from 1.3 to 2% of GDP in a matter of years, fueled by a number of costly purchases.

Finland, which formally joined NATO earlier this month, has seen its highest year-on-year increase in defense spending since 1962.

Helsinki also witnessed the most drastic spending increase in the EU (36%), owing to a number of costly purchases, including a new fleet of 64 F-35 fighter jets from US weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The 10-billion-euro procurement was billed as the single largest splurge in the Nordic country's history.

During the late Cold War, Finland spent about 1.9% of its GDP on defense, but that figure dropped in the following years, reaching 1.1% of GDP in 2001. 

Read next: Global military spending reaches record $2,240 billion: SIPRI 

Only two years ago, defense spending accounted for only 1.3% of GDP. However, Finland's outgoing five-party government, led by the Social Democrats, agreed to increase defense spending by more than 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) last year, citing hostilities in Ukraine as justification.

In doing so, Finland significantly outperformed its fellow European nations, such as Lithuania, Sweden, and Poland, which saw the next largest increases in their defense budgets of 27%, 12%, and 11%, respectively.

Read next: NATO says aiding Ukraine cost $165Bln in military funding since 2022

Despite NATO's 2% spending target, many nations fall far short of it. For example, Finland's neighbor Norway spent only 1.55% of its GDP. Its neighbor Sweden, with whom it filed a joint NATO bid only to split up later, has pledged to meet the bloc's military spending target "as soon as possible," whereas Denmark hopes to meet NATO's target within a decade, by 2033.

Meanwhile, global military spending reached a new high last year as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which pushed European nations and, more broadly, the West to spend at levels not seen since the Cold War. Last year, European military spending increased by 13%.

 

  • F-35 fighter jets
  • Nato
  • Finland
  • Arms Race
  • military spending

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Hi-tech holocaust: Microsoft’s role in Gaza genocide

Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed

  • Technology
  • 28 Oct 2025
What Marr evidently didn't seem to understand was that Hedges isn't saying that Western journalists manipulate the truth, but that they systematically amplify Israeli narratives they know are false. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Western journalists know they have a case to answer for their betrayal of Gaza, and it frightens them

  • Opinion
  • 24 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
ap
Politics

Hamas calls on int’l community to act against Israeli settlement plan

In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, chats with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP)
Economy

Ex-US diplomat says Trump-Xi deal 'tactical retreat', not lasting deal

An unarmed Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, during a test in 2002. (US Air Force)
Politics

JD Vance defends Trump's nuclear test plan as 'crucial for security'

Ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the "million man" protest against military conscription, in occupied al-Quds, October 30, 2025 (AFP)
Politics

Haredi mass rally in al-Quds exposes Zionist regime's growing crisis

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS