To increase the country’s defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2029, the Finland government plans to face the dangers of a more aggressive Russia, said Prime Minister Petri Orpo.

At the same time, speaking to reporters in Helsinki on Tuesday, he argued that he was also planning to retire his country by the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the land mines by staff.

This move is followed by similar initiatives to increase military spending by Finland’s neighbors, with Sweden – the youngest member of the North Atlantic Pact – revealing plans last week to spend an additional $ 30 billion in its armed forces.

“As a member of NATO, we assume our responsibilities to our allies,” Orpo said. “With these decisions, we reinforce the security of Finland and the Finnish people for the future.”

Last month, the three Baltic states and Poland took a step towards the re -introduction of land mines against staff for better protection against a possible threat from Russia, with the four countries’ defense ministers being withdrawn from the Otava Convention. However, Norway, which also shares borders with Russia in the distant north, does not plan to leave the treaty and “regrets the decision” of its neighbors, the country’s defense minister, Tore Sandwick, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Finland Finance Minister Riikka Purra said the target of defense spending would require about € 3 billion to boost the military budget, as he said in a press conference.

Among the expenditure will be the renewal of Finnish land forces as well as measures that “build the defensive system’s ability to maintain long -term battles,” the government said.

Finland said defensive forces would not develop mines under normal conditions and that the departure from the Ottawa Convention would enter into force six months after the departure document was delivered to the UN Secretary -General.