Skip to main content

Russian Federation desires the Status Quo with Finland: NATO Expansion



President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation is alarmed by the possible encroachment of NATO reaching Finland. This is based on the shared border between the Russian Federation and Finland along with the reality of NATO creating new major geopolitical concerns. Therefore, while political elites in Moscow fully respect the democratic rights of the people of Finland, the reality is that NATO membership of this nation will lead to counter-measures by the Russian Federation.

Putin pointedly reminded Finland that the current status quo benefits both nations. After all, military forces of the Russian Federation have been kept at a firm distance from border areas. This measure was implemented by Moscow based on the need to reassure Finland. At the same time, Putin wanted to show his full appreciation towards elites in Helsinki for the neutral stance taken by this nation in the realm of geopolitics.

However, if Finland decides to join NATO then mutual respect would take a battering given the prevailing conditions. In other words, the Russian Federation would need to take precautionary and defensive measures. Putin said, after talks with President Salui Niinisto of Finland, that “Do you think we will continue to act in the same manner (if Finland joins NATO)? We have withdrawn our troops to a distance of 1,500 kilometers (from the border). Do you think they will stay there?”

Putin further stated, “Paraphrasing a remark of one of my Finnish friends, I could say that NATO would probably be pleased to wage war on Russia until the last Finnish soldier… Do you want this? We don’t. As for you, you should decide for yourselves.”

NATO posturing towards the Russian Federation can be viewed by expansion proposals in relation to the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Similarly, the ongoing expansion of NATO and more potent forward military mechanisms of this military alliance are clearly aimed at intimidating the Russian Federation.

Euro News says, “The Baltic Sea has been the arena for a series of close encounters between Russian and Western aircraft in recent months. The Russian and Finnish presidents agreed to draw up security measures to control flights in the area.”

Therefore, it is hoped that political elites in Finland will refrain from increasing tensions with the Russian Federation by joining NATO. Instead, Finland should focus on extending the hand of friendship and develop mutual security measures with the Russian Federation. At the same time, Finland should continue its strong relationship with Western powers and usual dealings with NATO. In other words, Finland should be outward looking irrespective if eastwards or westwards and focus on internal geopolitical issues that can easily fit in with powerful nations like America and the Russian Federation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re
Post a Comment
Read more

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has
Post a Comment
Read more

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif
1 comment
Read more