By Shi Wen
石文
US Army's armored troops participate in a joint military exercise in Finland
美国陆军装甲部队在芬兰参加演习。
Foreign media reported that the Finnish parliament passed a defense agreement with the US on July 1 that allows American troops to use 15 military bases within Finland. Finland's approval of the agreement will turn Europe's east wing into the forefront of major-country games more quickly and may aggravate regional conflicts.
据外媒报道，7月1日，芬兰议会通过与美国的防务协议，允许美军使用芬兰境内15处军事基地设施。此举将加速欧洲东翼成为大国博弈前沿，恐加剧地区冲突。
According to the agreement, Finland will open up one military port, four air force bases, seven army barracks and training ranges, and three weapon stock bases to the US. Moreover, American troops, upon application, can use the railroads in northern Finland and set up weapon and ammunition storage facilities to facilitate future deployment.
根据协议，芬兰将向美军开放1处军港、4处空军基地、7处陆军营地和训练场，以及3处武器仓储基地。同时，美军可在申请报备后，使用芬兰北部铁路通道和在铁路旁设置武器弹药储存设施，以便于预置弹药和装备。
It is learnt that the 15 military bases opened up this time will servefor different tasks according to the US military's needs. For instance, the US Navy plans to build a material maintenance center and a P-8A anti-submarine aircraft station at the Upinniemi military port in southern Finland, along with regular deployment of an Aegis ship. In case of conflict escalation, the US military will be able to quickly make moves from the Gulf of Finland to the Baltic Sea, turning the latter into NATO's inland lake.
据悉，此次开放的15处军事基地设施，将根据美军需要担负不同任务。其中，美海军计划在位于芬兰南部的乌平涅米军港，建立物资维护中心和P-8A反潜机航空兵站，并常态部署1艘宙斯盾舰艇。若冲突升级，美军将快速在芬兰湾至波罗的海一线展开兵力布势，将波罗的海打造成“北约内海”。
It's worth mentioning that the US has been deploying military forces in Finland in the name of exercise and training ever since the Nordic country joined NATO. In 2023, the US Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets", held Exercise Talvikotka with their Finnish counterpart, the Utti Jaeger Regiment, at Kemijarvi ; US Air Force's F-16 fighters arrived at the Kuopio Air Force Base for joint training with Finland's F/A-18fighters. During this year's joint exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 of NATO, the Finnish Navy hosted polar anti-submarine subjects and the US military assigned a submarine to participate.
值得一提的是，芬兰加入北约以来，美军多次以演习训练名义在芬兰部署军事力量。2023年，美军“绿色贝雷帽”特种部队赴凯米耶尔维基地，与芬兰乌蒂耶格特种部队进行“极寒环境下的耐力训练”；美空军F-16战斗机飞抵库奥皮奥空军基地，与芬兰F/A-18战斗机合练。今年，北约“坚定捍卫者-2024”大规模联合军演中，芬兰海军承办极地反潜课目训练，美军出动潜艇赴芬兰参演。
In addition to Finland, the US has also signed similar agreements with 11 NATO members including Sweden and Norway, the former approving the opening-up of 17 military bases, military airports, and ground force bases and the latter four military bases to US troops.
除芬兰外，美国还与瑞典、挪威等11个北约国家签署类似协议。其中，瑞典批准向美军开放17处军事基地、军用机场和地面部队驻地；挪威向美军开放4处军事基地。
The signing of multiple defense agreements mirrored NATO's adjustment of its troops' deployments in Europe, analysts said. Recently, the organization made a series of deployments on the north wing and east wing of Europe. Finland, Norway and the three Baltic states have jointly erected an "UAV defense wall" that links the North Pole region, the Baltic region, and Europe's east wing. Finland is acting more quickly to build the undersea railway tunnel connecting it with Estonia and aspires to complete the transport channel across the Baltic Sea within two years to increase the mobility of armored troops in the cross-regional maneuvering. Besides, Romania, a country in southern Europe, has begun building NATO's largest military base in the continent, which is planned to accommodate NATO's elite forces including the US 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). When it's completed, the military bloc will have completed its new round of strategic deployment underpinned by a large group of mobile troops stationed among the numerous bases scattered along Europe's east swing.
分析人士称，多项防务协议的签订，是北约调整欧洲地区兵力布势的缩影。近期，北约在欧洲北翼、东翼展开一系列军事布局。芬兰、挪威及波罗的海三国共同建设“无人机防御墙”，将北极地区—波罗的海—欧洲东翼串联成线。芬兰加快修建连接爱沙尼亚的海底铁路隧道，确保2年内建成贯通波罗的海的交通要道，以提高装甲部队跨区机动的灵活性。此外，位于欧洲南部的罗马尼亚开始建设“北约在欧洲最大军事基地”，计划进驻美第101空中突击师等北约精锐兵力。届时，北约在整个欧洲东翼以众多分散基地为支点，囤积大量机动兵力，实现新一轮战略布局。
Given the endless regional conflicts, the US-led NATO's ramping up of deployments in East Europe may exacerbate the turmoil and conflict in the region.
在地区冲突持续不断背景下，以美国为首的北约在欧洲东部加紧布局，或将导致地区动荡和冲突加剧。
For one thing, the growing scale of military exercises and high-frequency appearance of vessels and aircraft have plunged the region into greater tension. Following the exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, the US has initiated the Baltic Operations 2024 (BALTOPS-24) multilateral exercise. Media reports show that the number of emergency fighter takeoffs by NATO members in the past two months was 2.3 times as many as in the same period last year.
一方面，军演规模升级和舰机高频示强，让地区态势愈发紧张。继北约“坚定捍卫者-2024”大规模联合军演后，美牵头举行“波罗的海行动-2024”多国联合军演。据报道，北约成员国近2个月战斗机紧急升空次数是去年同期的2.3倍。
For another, when nuclear weapons become an approach of confrontation among major countries, Europe faces a mounting risk of nuclear proliferation. Relying on America's commitments like "nuclear protection" and "extended nuclear deterrence", NATO has sped up its nuclear deployment in Europe. According to its plan, the organization will mobilize airports in northern and eastern Europe to station the participating troops in this year's exercise Steadfast Noon, which will further fuel the spark of a nuclear war in the continent.
另一方面，核武制衡成为大国对抗手段，欧洲地区核扩散风险加剧。在美国“核保护伞”“核延伸威慑”等承诺渲染下，北约加快在欧洲地区的核武布局。按计划，北约在本年度“坚定正午”核威慑演习中，将首次启动北欧和东欧机场作为参演兵力驻扎地。此举或将推高欧洲地区核战争风险。
