It fought two wars against the Soviet Union between 1939 and 1944, and lost territory as a result. It was our survival mechanism. CNN Finland, which shares a border with Russia and seeks to join NATO, has announced a proposal to spend 139 million euros ($143 million) on building barrier fences on its eastern border with. So I don't think that [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban is willing to risk that and gain the hatred of both NATO and the EU by [making] things difficult for Finland. Outside of NATOs umbrella, the threat facing Finland would not necessarily have been a direct and all-out military confrontation with Russia, but rather a significant weakening of Finlands geopolitical position. - Sweden lost Finland to Russia in a war in 1809, turning Finland into an autonomous part of the Russian empire, the Grand Duchy of Finland. They Don't Have Anything', It's all [Putin's] fault. We had a balance [of power] in this area, and it was Putin who decided to change that balance. We had a balance [of power] in this area, and it was Putin who decided to change that balance. Finlands approach to Russia in the future stems from the stone-cold fact that it cannot escape the common 1,300 km (800 mile) border and military proximity with its neighbor. The Global Europe Program addresses vital issues affecting the European continent, U.S.-European relations, and Europes ties with the rest of the world. It is expected to pass with overwhelming support. Finland's accession brings NATO significant military capabilities. Nato jet 'approaches' Russian minister's plane before being chased away by escorting jet, Russian media say (21 June). "I congratulate all the people of Finland," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his evening address. Maintaining freedom from its powerful neighbour for a century has not been easy, and Finland has had to make sacrifices to survive. NATO and Finland actively cooperate in peace-support operations, exercise together and exchange analysis and information. Wuorinen, John H. "Appendix A: Alexander I's Act of Assurance, Porvoo Diet, March, 1809, and Decree of April 4, 1809." Bilateral Economic Relations Finland welcomes foreign investment. "But war has returned to Europe and Finland has decided to join NATO and be part of the world's most successful alliance.". A foreign ministry statement said the move would seriously damage bilateral relations . Now we have power also behind us, not just our own forces.". - In the chaos resulting from the Russian Revolution in 1917, Finland declared its independence on Dec. 6 that year. Kajanmaa: I think, from the politicians' point of view, they realized at that moment that someone else was trying to decide on behalf of Finland and that's not acceptable. - Sweden and Russia have not been at war against each other since 1809, when Sweden lost Finland to Russia. The reflection has not only been limited to the assessment of the state's official policy on Russia but has spread to other levels of society as well. Finland shares a 830-mile (1,340km) border with Russia, the longest of any EU member. Relations between Finland and Russia have been conducted over many centuries, from wars between Sweden and Russia in the early 18th century, to the planned and realized creation and annexation of the Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire during Napoleonic times in the early 19th century, to the dissolution of the personal union between With the Russian Empire's collapse during World War I, Finland took the opportunity to declare independence, which was accepted by the USSR "in line with the principle of national self-determination that was held by Lenin. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. [Finlandization was from] the Cold War. Senior border guard officer Juho Pellinen walks along a fence marking the boundary area between Finland and Russia near the border crossing of Pelkola, in Imatra, Finland on November 18, 2022. vladimir putin olaf scholz crisis ucrania lkl xavier colas_00011504.png. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? That figure dropped to 1,700 when border restrictions began on September 30, according to the border guards statistics. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. A recent survey found that just 21% of Finns support joining Nato, while 51% oppose it, with the rest not giving an answer. Of course, they could look to air attacks over that long border, but our air defenses and air force are in pretty good condition, and we've seen the quality of the Russian Air Force in Ukraine -- it's really not too impressive. And we've seen that when the Cold War ended, many countries [abandoned] the conscription system and went for a professional force [and in those countries] the willingness to defend the country went down drastically. "It is a great day for Finland and I want to say that it is an important day for NATO," Niinisto said at a joint news conference with Stoltenberg. Russia has said it will be forced to take "retaliatory steps" over its neighbour Finland's move to join Nato. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. "[The] wide consensus between leading politicians is that it is not timely to discuss this issue," he says. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Hence, the conclusion was that only NATO's article five and its nuclear deterrence could provide Finland with sufficient security. Toveri: That is a difficult question to answer. "This is now a thing of the past. Toveri: I'd say that [Russia's] possibilities are somewhat limited currently. Finns will go to the polls next year to elect a new president but the Nato debate, while always present, will not be a major issue, says Markku Kangaspuro, a Russia expert at the University of Helsinki's Aleksanteri Institute. Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, said Finland's membership in NATO would raise two specific territorial issues, according to a RU News 24 report. So we will establish the northern flank of NATO in the future, and I think there are enough tasks for the Finnish defense forces. We can't lower our guard. Instead of major units, I could see maybe the need for certain capabilities that we don't have ourselves just now, such as long-distance air defense/ballistic missile-defense units. The annual event was particularly interesting this time, as it was the first of its kind since the start of Russias invasion of Ukraine and Finlands decision to apply for NATO membership. Paraguay's President-elect Santiago Pena, a clean-cut former central bank director, will need all his wits and cool to steer the South American nation through economic headwinds hurting voters and rising pressure from farmers to cut ties with Taiwan. Russia has a couple of 100 kilometers of shoreline in the Baltic Sea, which is 98 percent surrounded by NATO countries. "Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a. [10], After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine started, Finland, as one of the EU countries, imposed sanctions on Russia, and Russia added all EU countries to the list of "unfriendly nations". [23] Finland formally became a member of NATO on 4April 2023 during a scheduled summit,[24] finalizing the fastest accession process in the treaty's history.[25]. In the assessment of the Finnish Border Guard, the changed security environment has made it necessary to construct a barrier fence along part of the eastern border, the border guard said in a statement. It might hurt for a couple of weeks for southern areas of industry to replace the Russian gas, but it's not going to cripple our economy in any way. To what extent does President Vladimir Putin have himself to blame for this outcome? But then in December [2021], when President Putin said that Finland can't join NATO and if Finland joins NATO there would be consequences, that was a direct threat, trying to force Finland's hand. It had to relocate 400,000 inhabitants, or 11% of its population, from lost territories and pay war indemnities worth $300 million, equalling some 4.9 billion euros ($5.3 billion) in current exchange rates. "For almost 75 years, this great alliance has shielded our nations and continues to do so today," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg declared at the ceremony. President Putin told a news conference during a visit to Finland last July, according to Euronews. What can Russia actually do? Of course, they can move missile defenses and so on, weapons systems close to our border. All Rights Reserved. [2] In addition, on December 11, 1811, Russia transferred to Finland Vyborg Governorate, that Russia acquired from Sweden earlier in 1721 and 1743. "Russia probably doesn't have any serious need or reason to try to interfere in our politics because our relations are as good as they can be in this situation.". Toveri: The thing is that 90 percent of that border is wilderness, it's just forestno road, no network, no anything. They can move troops very close to the border. For Ukraine, they are not ready for that kind of work with Russia, because they want to be independent. Overall I don't think that there would be a need to permanently base NATO units in Finland, but [instead] to improve our capability to receive temporary reinforcement if needed. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. [14], However, on 1 January 2022, Finland's president, Sauli Niinist, reasserted Finnish sovereignty by stating that the Finnish government reserved the right to apply for NATO membership. The Global Europe Programs staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. The response came after Niinist told Putin in a phone conversation that the militarily non-aligned Nordic country, which has a complex history with its eastern neighbour, will decide to apply for Nato membership in the coming days. Our citizens thought that if we have really good cooperation with Russia, then we wouldn't have to fear them. Europe can't decide if it wants to punish ordinary Russians for Putin's war. Paraguay's President-elect Santiago Pena: puppet or pragmatist? The phone call was conducted on Finlands initiative, Niinists office said. But now you are repeating the 1930s and joining the rest of Europe in its upteempth attempt to get rid of Russia. Finland had its own civil war with involvement by Soviet Russia, was later invaded by the USSR, and had its internal politics influenced by it. In his other rather gritty remark, the President noted how we must not forget how Russia has been Finlands neighbor both in bad days and in better days and will continue to be one even if there were no turn for the better. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You have to remember that the biggest NATO countries, barring the U.K., are also the biggest EU countries and Hungary is getting a lot of money from the EU. REUTERS/Johanna Geron. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. It's not nothing, but it's not as serious as it sounds. Finland and Sweden Are Done With Deference to Russia Even if the two Nordic countries don't join NATO, they have signaled a new era in relations with Moscow. Putin said negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv had been suspended due to Ukraines lack of interest in a serious and constructive dialogue. All Rights Reserved, https://www.flickr.com/photos/tpkanslia/52305613835/in/photostream/, Smart Take | Finland Joins NATO Security Alliance, China-Russia Relations in the Shadow of the Invasion of Ukraine, Security in the High North: Deterring Russia, How Georgia and Ukraine Are Bolstering Their Chances to Join NATO, Latvia and the United States: Bringing Friendship into the Next Centenary, If Finland joins NATO, it needs a new nuclear weapons policy, Finlands Contributions to NATO: Strengthening the Alliances Nordic and Arctic Fronts, UK Shadow Secretary of State for Defense Announces NATO Test on Defense Projects in Landmark US Speech at Wilson Center. While Finland's bilateral trade relationship with Russia was badly affected by the 2020 pandemicand has now been completely upended by EU sanctionsin prior years it often exceeded $10 billion, making Moscow one of Helsinki's top five trading partners. "But now we'll consider it as a state that is unfriendly to us.". The Ukraine crisis has strengthened Finland's transatlantic relations with the United States. However, after the failed 1991 August Coup in Russia, Finland recognized the Baltic states and restored diplomatic relations with them. Is that an empty threat? [citation needed], Finland fought two wars against the Soviet Union during World War II: the Winter War and the Continuation War. Relations with Finland Last updated: 05 Jul. Moscow says the funnelling of heavy weaponry to Ukraine by NATO countries since the war began proves the West is bent on destroying Russia. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Anne Kauranen, Tom Little and Essi Lehto in Helsinki; and Andrew Gray, Kate Abnett, Jan Strupczewski and Sabine Siebold in Brussels; writing by Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich and Patricia Zengerle, editing by Nick Macfie, Richard Chang and Rosalba O'Brien, Air defences shoot down 15 of 18 missiles launched at Ukraine in dead of night, Oil depot fire part of Ukraine's preparation for counter-offensive - military, Ukrainian defenders oust Russian forces from some positions in Bakhmut - Ukraine general, Pope says Vatican involved in secret Ukraine peace mission. A day after Finland's leaders announced their support for NATO membership, Russian state-owned utility company Inter RAO announced it would stop exporting electricity to Finland from Saturday. What Threat Does Russia Pose To Finland? I don't think that any Greek or Italian units will be seen in Finland because it's a different part of NATO. Is that not a cause of concern if Russia is making mischief? A sense of: "We are going into NATO. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. We are pretty sure that they won't launch any kind of military operation because, first, they don't have the capabilities, and they don't have any reason to do that. As far as Finland is concerned, criticism can be given for the fact that Finland did not let go of its Russia optimism earlier. Relations between Finland and Russia have been conducted over many centuries, from wars between Sweden and Russia in the early 18th century, to the planned and realized creation and annexation of the Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire during Napoleonic times in the early 19th century, to the dissolution of the personal union between Russia and Finland after the abdication of Russia's last czar in 1917, and subsequent birth of modern Finland. Russia has said it will bolster its defences near its 1,300km border with Finland after the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced that . The planned border fence will stretch for a distance of 130 to 260 kilometers (80 to 161 miles) only part of the 830-mile-long border it shares with Russia and will come with accompanying surveillance equipment and a patrol road as well. With Finland joining NATO now, is that model dead? RFE/RL's Georgian Service spoke to Major General Pekka Toveri, the former intelligence chief of the Finnish General Staff, and Colonel Petteri Kajanmaa, director of the Department of Military Skills at the National Defense College, about Finland's changing security outlook, the potential stumbling blocks ahead, and why so-called "Finlandization" was never a good model for Ukraine. Of course, they can do something, but we know where and we can control that and we are prepared for that every day. As ajournalist and political analyst, he has covered issues of international security, post-Soviet conflicts, and Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Finland's era of strategic non-alignment began after the country repelled an attempted Soviet invasion during World War Two and opted to maintain friendly relations with neighbouring Russia. The fallout between Russia and the West does not wipe away Finlands decades long experience dealing with Russians. Well, there's no political power anymore. A prime example of this is how between 2012 and 2022, the President of Finland, Mr. Sauli Niinist has either met or held a telephone meeting with his counterpart Vladimir Putin over 40 times. Throughout its independence since 1917, Finland has sought a tolerable and manageable security balance with Russia. They are heading West and all those [with] Soviet heritage have already moved, except Belarus, to the West, to Europe, so Ukraine wants to follow that and Finlandization does not help that process. - Sweden's and Finland's difficult past with Russia goes back to 17th and 18th centuries when tsars of the Russian Empire repeatedly tried to conquer Finland, then a hinterland of the Swedish kingdom. It is noticeable how the Finnish-Russian relationship is living through a historic breakdown as diplomatic engagement has been reduced to a minimum, economic relations have been severed, and cultural and civic interaction has dwindled. Importantly, various government-level contacts and the experience gained from them have made Finland an interesting partner in the West. Exports from the United States to Finland include chemicals, electronics, machinery, instruments and apparatus, road vehicles and transport equipment, coal, medical equipment, food and beverages, metals and metal products, crude minerals, and metalliferous ores. After 10 days of tense diplomatic exchanges the submarine was tugged off the rocks and returned to the Soviets. [But] that might change now, because of the Russian point of view [according to which] NATO is the enemy, or at least on the opposing side. Russia has a couple of 100 kilometers of shoreline in the Baltic Sea, which is 98 percent surrounded by NATO countries. While Finland is not a member of the Nato military alliance that has sent thousands of troops to eastern Europe to reassure Poland and the Baltic states, it has been a member of the European Union since 1995. For years, Russia has said Finland shouldn't join NATO, but it's Finland's decision, [and that has] been good enough for Finland. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read about our approach to external linking. This clearly situates it well within the West, says Suvi Turtiainen, a journalist with the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, who is currently researching Russian perceptions of Finnish independence. So Russia's ability to have any military operations there will be. Of course, we will participate in the Baltic Sea maritime surveillance. Kajanmaa: Yes, it's [clear] that it's one of the biggest topics [of discussion]. His writing has been published in various Georgian and international media outlets, including The Times, The Spectator, The Daily Beast, and IWPR. in, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, even held new elections when the previous results were objectionable, "Here are the nations on Russia's 'unfriendly countries' list", MTV3: Large-scale network spying uncovered at MFA, "Russian energy supplier cuts off electricity to Finland amid NATO bid", "Russia warns NATO against inclusion of Finland, Sweden", "Finland says it could join Nato despite Russian pressure", "Nato-jsenyyden vastustus putosi enntyksellisen alas", At NATO's Door: Russia's invasion of Ukraine shifted the opinion of a majority of Finns in favour of NATO membership, "Nato-kannatus nousi enntykselliseen 73 prosenttiin", "Finns warm to NATO in alarmed reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine", "Ylen kysely: Nato-jsenyyden kannatus vahvistuu 62 prosenttia haluaa nyt Natoon", "Finnish leaders confirm support for Nato application", "Finland must apply to join Nato without delay, say president and PM", "Finland and Sweden formally apply for NATO membership", "Live streaming: Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs", "Finland joins NATO in the alliance's fastest-ever accession process", Embassy of the Russian Federation in Helsinki, Consulate-General of Finland in Saint Petersburg, Ambassadors from Finland (current and former), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=FinlandRussia_relations&oldid=1151399211, Articles needing translation from Russian Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from April 2023, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles containing potentially dated statements from October 2013, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. It's more or less threatening. But despite the chummy optics, observers expect the pair to have honest conversations about prickly issues, including military tensions between Russia and the West in eastern Europe. A Looming Cable Race in the Arctic: What Role for NATO? 2023 Cable News Network. So it's not just the bunkers; conscription is still mandatory for men, and the country has about 900,000 reservists. Finland ends military non-alignment adhered to since 1945, NATO accession spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland has made dangerous historical mistake, Russia says. - Finland's long-ruling President Urho Kekkonen, in office between 1956 and 1982, focused on maintaining friendly and close relations with Moscow in order to preserve independence by avoiding conflict - a tactic known as Finlandisation. - Finland lost around 10% of its territory to the Soviet Union in the Moscow Armistice in September 1944. 2022 16:41 English French Russian Ukrainian NATO and Finland share common values, conduct an open and regular political dialogue and engage in a wide range of practical cooperation. [6][8] Finland ceded 11% of its territory - including the major city Vyborg - to the Soviet Union, but prevented the Soviets from annexing Finland into the USSR. The speeches by Finlands leadership reflected on how Russia's war and aggression had increased the threat to Finland's security, and with it, drove Finland to seek security under NATOs umbrella. It is one of the few European countries to have retained a conscription army through decades of peace, wary of Russia next door. If Finland joins NATO, we will see an enemy." Turkey might be more interesting and challenging. Kajanmaa: Of course, Russia can harm [Finland] and they are trying to put pressure on our decision-makers. If Russia reduces its border control, this may cause additional pressure at the Finnish end to control illegal entry. Finland has become one of the small members of (NATO) that doesn't decide anything, losing its special voice in international affairs. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Finland and its neighbour Sweden applied together last year to join NATO, but Sweden's application has been held up by NATO members Turkey and Hungary. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. The View From Finland: 'The Russian Garrisons Have Been Emptied. HELSINKI (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his Finnish counterpart Saturday that relations between the two neighbors could be "negatively affected" if Finland follows through with plans to apply for NATO membership. Finlandisation is now commonly used to describe the situation when a small country allows its policies to be significantly influenced by a larger and more powerful neighbour. Fundamentally, the decision to seek NATO membership was about Finlands need to manage its relationship with Russia and is linked to Helsinkis long tradition of how it should live with its eastern neighbor and the threat it could potentially pose. This is a harsh and perhaps a realist school of thought reminder especially for smaller states. [They could stop] selling us gas. - Up until 2020, only around 20% of Finns wanted Finland to join NATO in polls, with most people believing peace was best kept by maintaining friendly relations and economic ties with Russia. But in 1809 Finland was ceded to Russia, and in 1812 the Russian tsar Alexander I moved the capital of the grand duchy of Finland from Turku (bo) to Helsinki. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. - Finland lost around 10% of its territory to the Soviet Union in the Moscow Armistice in September 1944. That's what our president means when he says: "You should look in the mirror." Russia has repeatedly said it will not tolerate the two countries joining NATO. This question has been building for some time. - After a few decades of Finnish independence and just before World War II, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union made a non-aggression pact which included a secret protocol that assigned Finland as well as Estonia and Latvia to the Soviet "sphere of influence". We were between East and West and the Soviet Union was a totally different player than Russia is now. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. How do you intend to deal with that? Finland remained neutral since a 1948 treaty with the Soviet Union and independent since 1917. It goes without saying that self-reflection regarding Russia is needed. Read about our approach to external linking. The Soviet Union did not officially acknowledge it shot down the planes until 1991. Niinist said he had already told Putin at their first meeting in 2012 that each independent nation would maximise its own security. Kajanmaa: It depends on how we negotiate with NATO. - King Charles XII of Sweden invaded and conquered parts of Russia in the early 18th century but lost a battle in Poltava, in today's Ukraine, to tsar Peter the Great. But Russian energy is a very small part of Finnish energy consumption. The construction of such a fence is expected to take three to four years and it can endure for roughly 50 years, according to the Finnish Border Guard. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. [9], During the period 198891 when the Baltic states were pursuing independence from the Soviet Union, Finland initially "avoided supporting the Baltic independence movement publicly, but did support it in the form of practical co-operation." Published All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Niinists office said the Finnish head of state told Putin how starkly Finlands security environment had changed after Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and pointed to Russias demands on Finland refraining from seeking membership of the 30-member western military alliance. [19][20] On 12 May 2022, President Niinist and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced that Finland would begin the process of applying for NATO membership. But after the Ukraine war, they might build some new garrison areas and bases closer to the Finnish border, but it's not that easy. But despite its namesake, the term does not apply to the Finland-Russia relationship of today. We don't know what NATO wants us to give them. People in Finland's emotions have included a combination of fear, anger and, above all, disappointment towards Russia. U.S. Marines participate in a military exercise called Cold Response 2022, gathering around 30,000 troops from NATO member countries, plus Finland and Sweden, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, near Bjerkvik in the Arctic Circle in Norway on March 24. Having channels to Moscow has rather been about strengthening Finlands international position and having an ear on matters that have an impact on its immediate national security as well as keeping an eye on its neighbor. We've seen in Finland that the most important part of our defenses is building willingness to defend the country among the population. Just four days after the start of the war, Finlands largest daily Helsingin Sanomat declared that Finland has no special understanding of Russia, due to the inability by the political leadership to anticipate the war. And [they can do] what happened in 2015 -- they can push refugees from Russia to Finland. Undoubtedly we appreciate Finland's neutral status.". It might hurt for a couple of weeksbut it's not going to cripple our economy in any way.

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