New NATO Member’s PM Calls Supporting Ukraine ‘a business opportunity’
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has announced a fivefold increase in ammunition production to bolster Ukraine's war effort. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Finland has significantly increased its ammunition production to support Ukraine against Russia, with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announcing a fivefold rise in output.
During a joint press conference on Wednesday with Estonia’s new Prime Minister, Kristen Michal, in Helsinki, Orpo stated, “Both nations agree that Russia cannot win its war” and emphasized the importance of backing Kiev. He asserted that “Finland has increased its ammunition production [by] five times. It needs to happen in the whole EU as well,” labeling the surge in arms manufacturing as “a shared business opportunity, but also shared security landscape” for the political bloc.
In February, Finnish officials set the goal of a fivefold increase in production at the Nammo Lapua artillery munitions facility, which is jointly owned with Norway.
Looking ahead, Helsinki plans to expand its weapons industry further with an aim to double its ammunition manufacturing capacity by 2027, as noted by the Defense Ministry. An anticipated investment of €120 million ($132 million) was announced in December, with approximately €24 million coming from the Finnish government.
Part of the funding will also be sourced from the EU through the ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production) fund. The Nammo Lapua plant is set to receive €22.5 million from the EU to increase the production of 155mm shells, while an additional €10 million will be allocated to the Nammo Vihtavuori gunpowder plant, as reported by the ministry in March.
Moreover, the Finnish government is exploring the possibility of establishing a new factory for manufacturing military-grade high explosives.
During the conference, both prime ministers expressed support for Ukraine's current offensive into Russia's Kursk Region, asserting that it is justified by Ukraine's right to defend itself.
Moscow has characterized the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war orchestrated by the US against Russia, with NATO countries involved. Finland's membership in the military alliance, which it joined last year, marked a departure from its long-standing policy of defense neutrality established after World War II.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a joint press conference on Wednesday with Estonia’s new Prime Minister, Kristen Michal, in Helsinki, Orpo stated, “Both nations agree that Russia cannot win its war” and emphasized the importance of backing Kiev. He asserted that “Finland has increased its ammunition production [by] five times. It needs to happen in the whole EU as well,” labeling the surge in arms manufacturing as “a shared business opportunity, but also shared security landscape” for the political bloc.
In February, Finnish officials set the goal of a fivefold increase in production at the Nammo Lapua artillery munitions facility, which is jointly owned with Norway.
Looking ahead, Helsinki plans to expand its weapons industry further with an aim to double its ammunition manufacturing capacity by 2027, as noted by the Defense Ministry. An anticipated investment of €120 million ($132 million) was announced in December, with approximately €24 million coming from the Finnish government.
Part of the funding will also be sourced from the EU through the ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production) fund. The Nammo Lapua plant is set to receive €22.5 million from the EU to increase the production of 155mm shells, while an additional €10 million will be allocated to the Nammo Vihtavuori gunpowder plant, as reported by the ministry in March.
Moreover, the Finnish government is exploring the possibility of establishing a new factory for manufacturing military-grade high explosives.
During the conference, both prime ministers expressed support for Ukraine's current offensive into Russia's Kursk Region, asserting that it is justified by Ukraine's right to defend itself.
Moscow has characterized the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war orchestrated by the US against Russia, with NATO countries involved. Finland's membership in the military alliance, which it joined last year, marked a departure from its long-standing policy of defense neutrality established after World War II.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
