A long-awaited decision on the location of Nato headquarters in Finland is imminent.
According to Yle's sources, Mikkeli is expected to be announced as the HQ for the Northern European land command unit while the multinational forward land force (FLF) will be based in either Rovaniemi or Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) said earlier this week that the decision has not been confirmed as yet but will be announced soon.
The Army Command (ARCOM) of the Finnish Defence Forces is already located in Mikkeli, which Yle understands was a decisive factor in the decision.
Initially, the Mikkeli HQ will consist of a few dozen officers from other Nato member states alongside Finnish personnel, and would operate under the command of the Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC-NF) — part of the Nato military command structure.
The FLF base — set to be located in Finnish Lapland — would accommodate Nato troops coming to Finland from other member states.
Sweden said it is prepared to take leadership responsibility for future Nato peacetime ground forces in Finland, a statement welcomed by both Häkkänen and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP).
