Three NATO warships arrived in the southwestern Finnish port of Turku on Monday to train with Finland's navy as Helsinki considers the possibility of joining NATO amid increased tensions with Russia over Ukraine.
Latvian minelayer LVNS Virsaitis and minehunters Estonian ENS Sakala and Dutch HNLMS Schiedam will train with two minehunters from Finland's coastal fleet, the Finnish defense forces said in a statement.
The two-day exercise, set to commence on April 28, will prepare the Finnish ships to take part in NATO response forces in 2022 and focus on "mine countermeasures and working in a multinational framework", the statement said.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on April 13 that her country would take a decision in the next few weeks about whether to apply to join NATO, prompting an angry response from Russia.