Three NATO warships arrived in the southwestern Finnish port of Turku on Monday to train with Finland's navy as Helsinki considers the possibility of joining the US-led alliance amid increased tensions with Russia over Ukraine.
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Latvian minelayer LVNS Virsaitis and minehunters Estonian ENS Sakala and Dutch HNLMS Schiedam will train with two minehunters from Finland's coastal fleet, the Finnish defense forces said in a statement.
The two-day exercise, set to commence on April 28, will prepare the Finnish ships to take part in NATO response forces in 2022 and focus on "mine countermeasures and working in a multinational framework," the statement said.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on April 13 that her country would take a decision in the next few weeks about whether to apply to join NATO, prompting an angry response from Russia.
