France to send ground troops for NATO rotations in Finland

France will send troops to join NATO’s forward land forces in Finland, the Finnish president’s office said on Wednesday, becoming one of the first allies to contribute to the newly established deployment near the alliance’s border with Russia.

France’s contribution will include a battle unit that will be integrated into the NATO force and deployed on a rotational basis, the president’s office said in a joint statement with France and Sweden.

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Following Finland’s 2023 accession to NATO, alliance leaders agreed to establish a multinational force in Lapland to bolster security along Finland’s 1,340-km (830-mile) border with Russia, the longest of any NATO member.

The deployment began operations in June 2026 under Swedish leadership.

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