Finland is not usually one of the countries at the top of a new chancellor's travel list.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is traveling to Finland today to attend the summit of the Nordic countries. The focus will be on the defense of NATO territory in the face of the growing threat from Russia and economic cooperation. Merz will attend a dinner (6:00 p.m.) with the heads of government at a medieval castle in the coastal city of Turku in southwestern Finland.

Finland is the eighth country Merz has visited since taking office almost three weeks ago. Scandinavia wouldn't normally be at the top of a new chancellor's travel list. However, the Nordic summit offers him the opportunity to meet the heads of government of five NATO partners at once: Norway, Denmark, and Iceland have been members of the defense alliance for some time. Finland and Sweden joined after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The growing threat from Russia is likely to be the main topic of the talks in Turku. It is particularly present for Finland. The country shares a 1,340-kilometer-long border with Russia. A few days ago, there were media reports about a buildup of Russian forces near the border. The Swedish broadcaster SVT analyzed satellite images that allegedly show new warehouses, a large tent camp at a military base, and the reactivation of an air force base.

The faltering efforts to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine are also likely to be discussed. The Nordic countries are among Ukraine's most loyal supporters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gets along particularly well with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Denmark was also one of the first countries to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. The Nordic states often coordinate their support for Ukraine with the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The heads of government of the autonomous regions of Greenland, the Faroe Islands (both Denmark), and Åland (Finland) are also participating in the summit. While the debate over US President Donald Trump's Greenland claims has cooled somewhat recently, nothing has changed regarding his intention to bring the world's largest island under US control for reasons of national or international security. This could also be a topic of discussion at the summit.

Merz will stay overnight in Finland and will hold bilateral talks with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and President Alexander Stubb on Tuesday. The meeting with the head of state at his summer residence could be particularly interesting for the chancellor. Stubb is one of the few European heads of state and government who gets along really well with Trump. He has even already visited the US president for a round of golf at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and could offer Merz tips for his upcoming visit to Trump at the White House.