Karim El-Bar
11 May 2022•Update: 11 May 2022
LONDON
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday signed a defense agreement with Finland.
"The Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed the equation of European security and it has rewritten our reality and reshaped our future," Johnson said, speaking at a news conference in Helsinki.
"We've seen the end of the post-Cold War period, and the invasion of Ukraine sadly has opened a new chapter," he said, adding that the war had brought Finland and the UK "even closer together."
"That invasion has already failed for two reasons. Firstly, because of the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people who have fought back and rallied the world behind them.
"Second, because that Ukrainian struggle for freedom, that heroic fight, has brought the world together in condemnation of this assault on our values," said Johnson.
He added that the defense pact meant Britain and Finland could intensify their partnership and "take it to unparalleled heights."
"Our armed forces will train, operate, and exercise together, marrying our defense and security capabilities and formalizing a pledge that we will always come to one another's aid," said the premier.
He vowed that the agreement would serve not as "a short term stop gap" as Finland considers NATO membership, but as an "enduring assurance" between the two countries.
Earlier in the day, Britain signed a similar pact with Sweden.
Both Finland and Sweden are weighing whether to join NATO after Russia launched a war on Ukraine in late February.
They are expected to make their decisions later this month.
