Finland wants to avoid overreactions in security, says president

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 19, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland wants to remain flexible about joint exercises with NATO following its formal application to join the alliance and about bringing in any new military equipment on its territory to avoid overreactions, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Thursday.

Finland shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border and a difficult past with Russia, which has invaded neighbouring Ukraine in what it calls a "special operation" and which opposes Finland and Sweden's plans to join the Western military alliance NATO.