The Commander of the Defence Forces, General Janne Jaakkola, attended a Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) meeting in France 10-11 March 2025. The meeting coincided with the Paris Defence & Strategy Forum (PDSF). The participants of the meeting included the CHODs of various European and international Allies and Partners.
European unity and cooperation are increasingly important in the current security situation. The CHODs meeting in Paris discussed scenarios and courses of action relating to supporting Ukraine and possible security arrangements.
According to General Jaakkola, the meeting provided a situation update on the preparations that have been led by the United Kingdom and France. He stated, however, that discussing the details of a possible military operation is still premature.
“Due to the quickly evolving situation and uncertainty it is still advisable to proceed with preparations, even if the grounds are not complete. At this point, the discussions are more focused on scenarios or concepts than on actual plans. Concrete planning requires, for example, a stated objective, a mission, a mandate and rules of engagement. The preparations need to be able to adjust the planning according to the situations that arise. Decisions related to potential security arrangements, such as dedicated troop contributions, are naturally done on the highest political level, and if needed we soldiers will create a military estimate to support the decision-makers in making further preparations.”
In the current situation continuing the materiel and training support to Ukraine is key, so that they can continue defending themselves. Alongside supporting, maintaining and developing Ukraine’s defence capability we must also assess and develop European defence and security to meet the changes in the security environment.
