Finland's Defense Minister: US inquiry is not a loyalty test, but a call for defense responsibility

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen has rejected the characterization of a U.S. inquiry to NATO allies as a "loyalty test." Instead, he described the U.S. administration's approach as "quite shaking and powerful" and "unprecedented."

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And in quite an unprecedented way.

The inquiry, which Häkkänen referred to as a letter, was reportedly sent to all NATO member states. It seeks to ascertain whether allies are taking sufficient responsibility for their own defense and actively contributing to collective security within the alliance. Specific questions reportedly included whether allies have placed restrictions on the use of U.S. military bases and whether they have publicly supported U.S. foreign policy.

Häkkänen emphasized that the core focus of the inquiry is on defense and hard security policy, particularly within NATO. He stated the U.S. is assessing whether countries are doing enough relative to the threat environment in Europe and adhering to agreed-upon NATO commitments, questioning the decisiveness of defense measures taken by member states.

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Are countries truly doing enough in relation to the threat environment on our own continent and the things we have agreed upon within NATO, is there decisiveness in defense measures.

The minister views this inquiry as a continuation of the Trump administration's policy aimed at prompting European nations to shoulder more responsibility for their own security. It is also part of a larger U.S. process to review its military footprint in Europe, including troop deployments and base structures, as the U.S. increasingly prioritizes the Indo-Pacific region due to the growing military threat from China.

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They will screen the European NATO countries. Who is doing things properly, who is investing, who is taking the threat from Russia seriously.

Häkkänen indicated that Finland will respond to the inquiry soon. He noted that discussions about this broader U.S. assessment had already taken place, including a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in June. While Häkkänen understands the U.S. rationale, he stressed Finland's position that all NATO members are part of the same alliance and should not be divided into different categories.

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Through this, they will mirror how their troop structures, presence issues, and base structures in Europe are developed.