Finland Sends Letters To 900,000 Reservists

Published: May 4, 2015

The Finnish military has begun sending letters to some 900,000 reservists amid increased tensions between the Nordic states and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, RFE/RL reports.

Russia and Finland share a 1,340-kilometer land border.
The military said the letter campaign, which started on May 4, was prompted mainly by cuts in the defense budget.
Finland’s defense budget this year has shrunk to 2.7 billion euros ($2.99 billion), or 1.29 percent of GDP, down from 1.4 percent in 2012.
The letters reportedly informed reservists what their role would be in a “crisis situation.”