The Finnish Defense Ministry proposed on Friday to place the headquarters of the NATO ground forces in city of Mikkeli near the border with Russia.
"Finland's defence administration proposes Mikkeli, the town where the Finnish Army Command is based, as the location for NATO's Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC)," the statement read.
Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, along with Sweden. In an interview with Dmitry Kiselev, Vladimir Putin stated that the accession of these countries to the alliance was a pointless step in terms of their national interests, as Russian troops and strike systems would now appear near their borders.
Russia has repeatedly pointed out NATO's unprecedented activity near its western borders in recent years. The alliance claims it is expanding initiatives as part of "deterring Russian aggression."
Moscow has frequently expressed concern over the buildup of NATO forces in Europe. The Kremlin has noted that Russia does not pose a threat to anyone but will not ignore actions that could potentially endanger its interests.