The Vice Chief of Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces, General Gwyn Jenkins visited Finland

Defence Forces

19.4.2024 11.54

Press release

In border control at the Kainuu border. From the right: General Jenkins, Lieutenant General Virtanen, Deputy Military Assistant Captain Callum MacRae, Commander of the Kainuu Border Guard Colonel Tuomas Laosmaa, Commander of the Kainuu Brigade, Brigadier General Ari Laaksonen and Finnish Defence Attaché in London, Commander Mika Raunu.

The Vice Chief of Defence Staff, General Gwyn Jenkins, visited Finland on 17–19 April 2024. The visit was hosted by the Chief of the Defence Command, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen.

The visitation programme included introductions to the Finnish defence system, conscription and capability, as well as a familiarization to the activities of the Finnish Border Guard. The visit to Kainuu was hosted by the Commander of the Kainuu Brigade, Brigadier General Ari Laaksonen.
During the visit, cooperation between Finland and the United Kingdom was discussed, both bilaterally and as a part of the alliance and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).

The Chief of the Defence Command, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen, emphasises the importance of defence cooperation between Finland and the United Kingdom:

- From the perspective of NATO, the JEF and bilateral cooperation, the UK is an important partner for Finland. We have a strong common interest in the defence of the High North. The conscripts of the Kainuu Brigade gave a good picture of the skills and attitudes of the Finns. It was a pleasure to present their live fires training to our guest. We were also able to explore the eastern border of Finland and NATO by skiing, which suited General Jenkins very well as he has a competitive background in biathlon.

The leader of the live fire training presents the implementation of the group's
attack live-fire

General Jenkins describes the relationship between Finland and the United Kingdom as strong and is very pleased with his visit to Finland:

-The Defence Relationship between the UK and Finland is strong and growing. I am delighted to be visiting Finland for the first time since its accession to NATO. I am delighted that we are officially Allies and we will support Finland's integration further into NATO wherever possible.

General Jenkins emphasizes in the group's post-attack feedback the use of the terrain and the change of the firing position after a shot