U.S. Troops May Deploy to Finland Bases

American soldiers may soon be deploying to bases near Russia's border with Finland if ongoing talks on a new defense cooperation agreement (DCA) between Helsinki and Washington prove successful.

Finnish newspaper Helsinki Sanomat reported Monday, citing Finnish Foreign Ministry official Mikael Antell, that discussions on the new cooperation deal may allow for the construction of significant military infrastructure on Finnish soil. The proposed agreement would not cover nuclear weapons.

Helsinki Sanomat reported that Antell—the Foreign Ministry's deputy director general for political affairs—is leading the bilateral negotiations, and that fresh discussions took place in the Finnish capital last week. The agreement, Antell said, will augment Finland's recent NATO membership.