Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, Admiral Christopher W. Grady, visited Finland on 2–3 June 2025. The visit was hosted by the Chief of Defence Command Finland, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen.
Admiral Grady’s first visit to Finland started at the Defence Command, Helsinki, on Monday, June 2. Admiral Grady and his delegation were received by the Commander of the Defence Forces, General Janne Jaakkola, and the Chief of the Defence Command, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen. At the Defence Command, Admiral Grady was introduced to the principles of Finnish national defence. Finland’s NATO integration and the Finland-US bilateral relations were also discussed.
– It was a great honour to receive Admiral Grady here in Finland. The visit gave us a great, valuable opportunity to introduce Finland’s unique defence system, which is based on general conscription, capability to defend the entire country and wide societal commitment. At the same time, we could exchange ideas about mutually important issues. We appreciate the long-term, steady cooperation that we have had over the years with the United States, and we will take it further, Lieutenant General Virtanen said at the end of the visit.
After the discussions at the Defence Command, the delegation visited the Coastal Brigade on Tuesday, June 3. At the Coastal Brigade, the delegation familiarized themselves with Finland's maritime defence and discussed, among other things, regional cooperation.
Admiral Grady also met the President of the Republic, Alexander Stubb, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Esa Pulkkinen.
Admiral Grady commented on the visit, emphasizing the role of regional cooperation:
– It was an honor to meet with President Stubb, General Jaakkola, and our Finnish partners in Helsinki. Finland’s steadfast commitment to NATO and regional security is clear and commendable. Together, we reaffirmed our shared dedication to deepening defense cooperation, enhancing interoperability, and standing together in defense of the Baltic Sea region and the broader Euro-Atlantic community.
