SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, Mr. Minister, welcome to the Pentagon.
Finland and the United States are long-standing defense partners, and now, we're meeting as NATO allies. Since Finland joined NATO in April of 2023, her highly-impressive and highly-capable Armed Forces have already made this great alliance even stronger, and we appreciate Finland's strong determination to integrate itself into NATO.
We're also grateful for Finland's determination to tackle regional and global security challenges. Finland has stood strong with Ukraine as it continues to fight back against Putin's unprovoked aggression. Finland has committed more than $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February of 2022, and those donations have helped meet Ukraine's urgent needs on the battlefield, and they have made a real difference for the security of both Ukraine and Europe as a whole.
The United States is also grateful for Finland's commitment to our bilateral defense relationship, and we look forward to working together to implement the Defense Cooperation Agreement that we signed in December. I'm eager to hear your views on areas where we can build our defensive capabilities, strengthen our interoperability and deepen the security bond between our two militaries.
So, Mr. Minister, we've got a lot to talk about today. I want to thank you again for making the trip, and I look forward to a great discussion.
DEFENSE MINISTER ANTTI HAKKANEN: So Mr. Minister and dear Lloyd, first, we would like to thank you for your personal leadership support Ukraine that's highly-valuable for European security, and also supporting Swedish and Finnish membership in NATO. That's — that's truly highly-important for Nordic security also.
I come to the Pentagon as the first minister of defense of Finland in NATO. That's a huge thing for us. We want to be a reliable and effective ally to that contributes to NATO's deterrence and defense. The alliance has taken two steps, and Finland has pragmatic proposals on how to go even further. We have a unique conscription system in Finland. Out of 5.5 million Finns, almost a million have received military training. We spend 2.3 percent of our GDP on defense, and in a few years, we will operate one of the biggest F-35 fleets in Europe. Through our know-how and technology expertise in resilience and high will to defend, we will make NATO stronger.
Our bilateral relationship is getting new dimensions. In December, I came to D.C. to sign the Defense Cooperation Agreement. In the beginning of May, we joined the State Partnership Program, and today, our departments will sign a statement of intent on Special Operations Forces cooperation.
All this means that we prepare to defend together, and we are already doing this. In a few days, our defense forces will exercise in the Arctic with that biggest-ever contingent of U.S. troops in Finland.
Mr. Secretary, I look forward to discussing how we can continue to support Ukraine even stronger. How the war ends will have a major impact on both of our countries. We must not let Putin win. I deeply appreciate the U.S. leadership, and I can guarantee that we are doing our share in Europe, and especially in Finland. Finland has provided Ukraine with two billion Euros' worth of defense material. We are also currently producing over five times more artillery ammunition than before the war. The E.U. and its member states have made available of $100 billion US dollars in financial, military and humanitarian assistance.
We will also discuss developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. There are a lot — there are no isolated security (inaudible). The West needs to be united and strong in all forms. And Mr. Secretary, Europe needs strong United States, but in the era of strategic competition, the United States also needs that strong Europe. We can build a dynamic relationship based on trade, technology and security.
SEC. AUSTIN: Thanks, Mr. Minister, and again, welcome to the Pentagon, and I look forward to a great discussion.
Thanks, everybody.