Experts find, in an interview to Finland's leading daily newspaper, that because Finland and the Baltics constitute the same theater of operations for Russia, any attack on the Baltics would also see an attack against Finland.

Petteri Kajanmaa, head of the military science department of the Finnish National Defense University, said that this makes it pointless for Finland to dispatch troops to defend the Baltics and that, rather, necessary troops should be found from Germany or Poland.

Kajanmaa also sees no sense in having Finnish troops in the Baltics for the purposes of deterrence, with Finnish dispatchments to countries even further away seen as even less likely.

Finland's military representative in NATO, Maj. Gen. Mikko Heiskanen said that Finnish troops are not suitable for foreign missions as they simply haven't been trained for the purpose.

But Heiskanen added that NATO membership means preparedness to defend other member states, and that it is likely the Finnish Air Force will have to safeguard the Baltic airspace.

Both experts believe Finnish troops will be involved in defending the Russia borders of Sweden and Norway as the countries have relatively modest ground troops.

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