Finland’s president defends decisions to buy Israeli arms, not recognise Palestinian state

HELSINKI, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Finland’s President Alexander Stubb defended his country’s decision to buy arms from Israel despite the war in Gaza, saying it had no link to Finland’s unwillingness to recognise an independent Palestinian state at the present time.

Finland is acquiring, opens new tab a ground based, high altitude, missile defence system called David’s Sling from Israel. Helsinki considers the system a high priority for its own defence due to neighbouring Russia’s ongoing missile attacks on civilian and military targets in Ukraine.