Finland Set to Raise Military Reserve Age to 65
The Nordic country, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, joined NATO in April 2023 after ending decades of military neutrality, citing heightened security risks linked to the war in Ukraine.
Since accession, Finland has accelerated border security efforts, including building a 200-kilometer fence reinforced with barbed wire and surveillance technology, and hosting major military drills close to the Russian frontier.
According to a ministry press release issued Monday, the revised age cap will give the Finnish armed forces and the Border Guard “more opportunities to assign skilled personnel to key duties in exceptional circumstances, regardless of military rank,”. Senior officers holding the rank of colonel or higher will remain exempt from any upper age restriction and will continue serving in the reserve as long as they are medically fit.
The policy shift is expected to push Finland’s reserve force to approximately one million people by 2031, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said — nearly 20% of the nation’s 5.6 million population.
Finland’s move reflects a broader recalibration of military service across the European Union. Croatia has opted to revive conscription, Denmark has expanded compulsory service to include women, and France has introduced a new voluntary national service initiative.
Several EU members of NATO, including Poland and the Baltic states, have warned that Russia could pose a direct military threat — claims that Moscow has repeatedly denied.
Speaking earlier this month during his annual year-end question-and-answer session in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Western allegations that Russia plans to attack Europe as “nonsense,”, arguing they are fueled by internal political agendas designed to cast Russia as an adversary.
Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told Die Zeit on Monday that he does not believe Moscow is preparing for a full-scale war against NATO.
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