The annual exercise will last two weeks and will take place in October as always. This time it will be “not on NATO’s eastern flank, but in the south,” Cox said. She points out that more information will follow later.
She also says she is satisfied with the participation of Finland, which became NATO’s 31st member in April last year after a rapid accession procedure. According to Cox, participation in the exercise can take various forms, from sending fighter jets to simple observation.
After Finland’s accession, there was speculation that the country might plant nuclear weapons on its territory. This would change the ‘nuclear division’ agreed within NATO. Now American tactical nuclear bombs are stationed in five European countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. But according to Cox, there have been no discussions to change that.