UK to Host Baltic, Nordic Leaders to Find New Ways to Isolate Russia

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace speak with members of the crew of HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 air-defense destroyer of the Royal Navy that has undergone a refit, as they visit Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside Britain, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble/Pool
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace speak with members of the crew of HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 air-defense destroyer of the Royal Navy that has undergone a refit, as they visit Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside Britain, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble/Pool
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UK to Host Baltic, Nordic Leaders to Find New Ways to Isolate Russia

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace speak with members of the crew of HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 air-defense destroyer of the Royal Navy that has undergone a refit, as they visit Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside Britain, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble/Pool
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace speak with members of the crew of HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 air-defense destroyer of the Royal Navy that has undergone a refit, as they visit Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside Britain, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble/Pool

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host leaders from countries along Russia's northwestern flank next week to discuss ways they can respond to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, including finding new ways to isolate Russia's economy.

The leaders from countries in the Joint Expeditionary Force, a British-led grouping made up of Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden will meet for talks in London on Tuesday.

The leaders are expected to agree to more military exercises in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea and will discuss the war in Ukraine and energy security, Johnson's office said, Reuters reported.

"European security has been shaken by the attack of Russia on Ukraine, and alongside our partners, we will take action to ensure we emerge stronger and more united than before," Johnson said in a statement.

"Ensuring we are resilient to Putin's threats needs to go beyond our military footing - together alongside our North and Baltic Sea partners we must ensure we are insulated from Russia's interference and impact on our energy supplies, economy and values."

Britain has imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals and entities, promised to phase out Russian oil imports and banned Russian companies from raising debt and equity in its financial center.



Finland Hails Plan for Allies to Join NATO Land Forces on its Soil

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the eve of a NATO defense ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/ File Photo
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the eve of a NATO defense ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/ File Photo
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Finland Hails Plan for Allies to Join NATO Land Forces on its Soil

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the eve of a NATO defense ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/ File Photo
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the eve of a NATO defense ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/ File Photo

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen hailed plans on Wednesday for six NATO member states including Britain and France to participate in land forces that are to be established in northern Finland. Finland, which has a longer border with Russia than any other NATO state, has strengthened the frontier in the two years since it joined the military alliance following a policy U-turn after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Reuters reported.

"I am very pleased that yesterday, in connection with the ministerial meeting, we were able to announce that Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Denmark and Iceland are set to join FLF Finland," Hakkanen said on X, referring to what NATO calls Forward Land Forces.

NATO leaders were meeting on Wednesday in The Hague.

Helsinki and Stockholm agreed last year that Sweden would lead the establishment of a NATO land force in Finland and invited other allies to participate.

The number of troops is yet to be defined. But the Finnish defense ministry has said that there is a plan for up to a brigade - about 5,000 soldiers - and a significant number of equipment to be brought in if the security situation worsens.

The first NATO land forces will start to arrive this year and be placed above the Arctic circle in Rovaniemi and Sodankyla, it said.

In addition to the foreign reinforcement force in the north, Finland will host a new NATO land force headquarters for officers in Mikkeli, southern Finland, an about two-hour drive from the Finnish-Russian border.