The speech of Lieutenant General Jäämeri on the Finnish Independence Day 2025

Esteemed Veterans and Lottas of our wars, esteemed Guests of Honour, Ladies and Gentlemen, Parade Troops. Ärade veteraner och lottor från våra krig, ärade inbjudna gäster, bästa publik, paradtrupper.

Today we stand flying our Blue Cross Flag commemorating with gratitude all those who fought to allow us to live in peace and determine our own future by ourselves. We celebrate our free and independent Finland – the nation and people who have built the future by sisu, courage, and shared responsibility.

We do not take our independence for granted. We secure and safeguard it day in and day out – by words and deeds. The Independence Day is a special national celebration for sustainers of security. Today our thoughts are with all who serve in Finland and abroad in tasks of defence, conscripts, reservists, service personnel, and personnel serving in voluntary national defence. This is also the moment to give thanks to enablers of national defence, all who raise, support and listen: mothers, fathers, grandparents, spouses, our nearest and dearest.

Finland’s independence signifies more than government status. It equals the opportunity to live free from fear in accordance with our values – to sustain our society based on freedom, integrity and justice. We Finns decide what we want from the future. Independence is also a state of mind: it is trust and confidence in being able to cope, create, and reform.

Finland’s major strength is the general liability for military service. The envy of many others, the system brings us together and makes national defence a matter of the entire nation. Military service instructs in responsibility and resilience, cooperation and team effort, confidence and readiness to operate for others – skills that are needed both during a crisis and in peacetime.

The general liability for military service is also a sign of trust. It shows that Finland has confidence in its citizens – that each and everyone is prepared to do their part for the general good. Our defence solution is based, first and foremost, not on technology or alliances, but rather on people – educated, motivated and Fatherland-loving Finns.

Conscripts, your years as national defenders are in the early stages. Refresher training exercises and voluntary participation await. Discuss and think about ways to sustain and develop your skills and fitness in the reserve. The National Defence Associations welcome your contribution.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I bring to Homeland greetings from Brussels, the European Union and NATO where I serve as Finland’s Military Representative. NATO reinforces its joint defence on a number of working lines. Also, in the European Union, security and defence are a key focus with more significant development than ever before. 

Finland’s settling in NATO has worked well. Yesterday we achieved the result of the thoroughly prepared grouping of Finland with Sweden and Denmark as part of Joint Force Command Norfolk and its Northern area of responsibility. NATO defends the North now as a whole, and the plans respond with new precision and at full power to security threats in the area.

By becoming allied Finland is a part of the strongest defence alliance in history. Our security is enhanced most optimally, and the membership of Finland and Sweden also strengthens the alliance. Finland has an excellent reputation in NATO. We are a sovereign, capable and appreciated member whose defence competence is deemed worth listening to.

The North Atlantic Treaty provides us with additional security and strong allies, but the same treaty requires that we sustain and develop our own capable and strong defence system. Finland’s security still asks for our own will and capability to defend every square metre of our Fatherland.

Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine has unfolded increased security risks concerning our security environment before our very eyes. The defence of Finland and Europe must be reinforced. We need the type of defence that is always stronger that the threat and that prevents a war. The joint commitment of NATO nations to allocate more funding for defence pursues this and concerns all member nations. Our allies’ contributions also increase our security, and as a nation on the front-line Finland is among nations that benefit the most.

Unfortunately, the fate of Ukraine indicates that Finland’s military threat has not changed in any significant way over the decades. The Finnish Defence Forces have prepared for the threat by long-term development of the quality and quantity of forces and defence materiel. Alongside continuity, we need agility and innovation. We need inventiveness and the ability to swiftly adopt new technologies and solutions. Knowledgeable national defence industry is necessary for securing our security of supply and enabling our competitive advantage in the field of technologies.

The task ahead is not an either-or -choice but rather a both-and -situation.  Defence in the future will still require the present warfighting capabilities and adequate quantities as presupposed by a long-term conflict. It is necessary to find a new balance between the ratio of the present and the new. For this purpose, we collect information, do research, test, and analyse. The Finnish Defence Forces are not preparing for past or ongoing wars. The Finnish Defence Forces prepare for future wars.

Esteemed Finns,

we have a lot to feel fortunate about: peace, freedom, confidence, and a joint will to build a better future. All this is our national heritage that we want to cherish and defend. The previous generations have built a solid foundation, and now it is our turn to be at the helm.

Let us raise, a three-fold Long Live to Independent Suomi Eläköön - eläköön - eläköön!