Finland: Russia gearing up for ‘second phase’ of aggression
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen (Photo: Lehtikuva/Markku Ulander/via REUTERS)
Russia is building up its military capabilities near the European Union’s borders and preparing for a potential “second phase” of aggression, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said at the NATO North Atlantic Council at Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels on Oct. 15.
Even after the war in Ukraine ends, Russia will continue to pose a serious threat to European security.
“Russia is indeed building up its military efforts for the second phase of its potential aggression. After the end of the war in Ukraine, there are real threats to NATO,” Häkkänen said, citing troop modernization and deployments near Finland’s borders as signs of concern.
Prior to the meeting, he announced that Finland will join the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) program, which channels military aid to Ukraine. A new Finnish aid package for Kyiv will be unveiled later this week.
Military support for Ukraine has fallen sharply in recent months, particularly after the United States stopped directly funding weapons deliveries in mid-2025. Backed primarily by European nations, the PURL procurement program now serves as a key mechanism for supplying Ukraine with air defense systems and other U.S.-made weapons and military technologies through voluntary contributions.
As of September, Kyiv had raised about $2 billion from six countries through PURL — far short of what officials say is needed to counter Russia’s renewed attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
Earlier that day, Ukraine's Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said that NATO’s PURL program would require between $12 billion and $20 billion in 2026.
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