Finland Feeling Vulnerable Amid Russian Provocations

8/10/2019 Finland Feeling Vulnerable Amid Russian Provocations

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Finland feeling vulnerableamid Russian provocations

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin leave after a

news conference at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Aug !", #$!% &'VAN

S()R(*AR(V+AFP+ett- 'mages.

B- ri/ 0itteNovember #1 at 23$# P4

HELSINKI Wedged hard against Russias northwestern border, peaceable

Finland has long gone out o its wa! to a"oid prodding the nuclear#ar$ed bear ne%t

door&
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/finland-feeling-vulnerable-amid-russian-provocations/2014/11/23/defc5a90-69b2-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/finland-feeling-vulnerable-amid-russian-provocations/2014/11/23/defc5a90-69b2-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/people/griff-wittehttp://a4166fc5c8de2e956be1-35bf222e249f267a2d3dc4447ed58798.r20.cf3.rackcdn.com/washingtonpost.jpghttp://www.washingtonpost.com/people/griff-wittehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/finland-feeling-vulnerable-amid-russian-provocations/2014/11/23/defc5a90-69b2-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/finland-feeling-vulnerable-amid-russian-provocations/2014/11/23/defc5a90-69b2-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.html


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4ap of incidents involving Russian and NA*5 forces V'(0RAP6'7

We ha"e a long histor! with Russia not that peaceul all the ti$e& So e"er!thing

the Russians are doing, surel! the Finns notice and thin( "er! careull! about what

that $ight $ean,/ Finnish 0resident Sauli Niinisto said in an inter"iew at his

coastal residence in this capital cit!, 1ust a two#hour dri"e ro$ the Russian border&
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-unnerves-its-neighbors/2014/11/23/ef79e1d0-738a-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_graphic.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-unnerves-its-neighbors/2014/11/23/ef79e1d0-738a-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_graphic.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-unnerves-its-neighbors/2014/11/23/ef79e1d0-738a-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_graphic.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-unnerves-its-neighbors/2014/11/23/ef79e1d0-738a-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_graphic.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-unnerves-its-neighbors/2014/11/23/ef79e1d0-738a-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_graphic.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-unnerves-its-neighbors/2014/11/23/ef79e1d0-738a-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_graphic.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-unnerves-its-neighbors/2014/11/23/ef79e1d0-738a-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_graphic.html


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In the case o the recent air incursions, he said, the $essage was clear2 3)he! were

testing how wed react&/

Niinisto said Finlands response scra$bling *$erican#$ade F#45 Hornet ighter

1ets to intercept the Russian planes was strong enough to ward o urtherRussian aggression&

'ut the palpable an%iet! in this countr! that $an! in the West consider a $odel o

progressi"e and stable de$ocratic go"ernance relects how unsettled Europe has

beco$e since Russias anne%ation o .ri$ea in 6arch&

6an! in Helsin(i are con"inced that Russia will not re$ain deterred or long andsa! Finland needs to unda$entall! rethin( ele$ents o its securit! polic! that ha"e

been bedroc( principles or decades&

0eople used to thin( European nion $e$bership was enough to protect us,/

said )ar1a .ronberg, a or$er $e$ber o the Finnish and European parlia$ents&

3'ut now thats being -uestioned&/

Finnish 0ri$e 6inister *le%ander Stubb has argued that the countr! needs to 1oin

N*)+, and a growing share o the public see$s to agree, although the issue

re$ains hugel! sensiti"e here&

E"en Finns who a"or $e$bership in the alliance ac(nowledge that 1oining would

be a ga$ble, with Russia threatening to disrupt the peace and prosperit! thiscountr! has long en1o!ed i Finland $a(es a sudden lurch toward the West&

Its going in a terri!ing direction,/ said Elisabeth Rehn, a or$er Finnish deense

$inister who a"ors N*)+ $e$bership& 3Its onl! been 477 !ears since we gained

our independence ro$ Russia& .ri$ea was a part o Russia, too& Will the! tr! to
http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/the-nato-divide-in-finnish-politics_1836.htmlhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/finnish-prime-minister-discusses-possible-nato-membership-a-994356.htmlhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/finnish-prime-minister-discusses-possible-nato-membership-a-994356.htmlhttp://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/elisabeth-rehn_105.htmlhttp://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/the-nato-divide-in-finnish-politics_1836.htmlhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/finnish-prime-minister-discusses-possible-nato-membership-a-994356.htmlhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/finnish-prime-minister-discusses-possible-nato-membership-a-994356.htmlhttp://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/elisabeth-rehn_105.html


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ta(e bac( what belonged to the$ 477 !ears ago8/

Rehn said she doubts Russia would go that ar but said the ear o Russian $ilitar!

aggression is real&

We dont ha"e a nor$al relationship with Russia,/ said Rehn, who as a child

watched bo!s ro$ her "illage co$e ho$e in coins ater battling So"iet troops in

World War II& 3We all li(e the Russians& )he! sing the sa$e $elancholic songs that

we do& 'ut we are araid o their leadership&/

Finland is hardl! the onl! one& Ne%t door in Sweden, the countr!s ar$ed orces

$ounted their largest operation since the .old War last $onth to hunt or asuspected Russian sub$arine& Swedish deense chies $a! ha"e "iewed the hunt as

a chance to co$pensate or a conspicuous lapse last !ear, when Russian warplanes

si$ulated an air assault on Stoc(hol$ and the Swedish $ilitar! ailed to react&

Li(e Finland, Sweden has re$ained outside N*)+ e"en as other 'altic nations

including Estonia, Lat"ia and Lithuania ha"e 1oined&

'ut N*)+ $e$bership has not protected those countries ro$ Russian probing,

which has e%tended in recent $onths across Europe, as ar aield as 0ortugal&

* report issued this $onth b! the European Leadership Networ(, a London#based

thin( tan(, docu$ented nearl! 97 incidents that together 3add up to a highl!

disturbing picture o "iolations o national airspace, e$ergenc! scra$bles,

narrowl! a"oided $idair collisions, close encounters at sea, si$ulated attac( runs,and other dangerous actions happening on a regular basis o"er a "er! wide

geographical area&/

)he report concluded that Russia was not tr!ing to pro"o(e a conlict but that the

beha"ior 3could pro"e catastrophic/ because o the ris( o unintended escalation&
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/swedes-unknown-submarine-did-violate-our-waters/2014/11/14/fa4413ce-6bec-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/swedes-unknown-submarine-did-violate-our-waters/2014/11/14/fa4413ce-6bec-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.htmlhttps://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=zuYQQjbk2yqY.keUJQxu7jKGY&authuser=0http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/medialibrary/2014/11/05/3b2f357f/Dangerous%20Brinkmanship.pdfhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/swedes-unknown-submarine-did-violate-our-waters/2014/11/14/fa4413ce-6bec-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/swedes-unknown-submarine-did-violate-our-waters/2014/11/14/fa4413ce-6bec-11e4-bafd-6598192a448d_story.htmlhttps://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=zuYQQjbk2yqY.keUJQxu7jKGY&authuser=0http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/medialibrary/2014/11/05/3b2f357f/Dangerous%20Brinkmanship.pdf


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Russian oicials ha"e brushed o the signiicance o the breaches& Spea(ing in

Washington this $onth, Serge! Kisl!a(, the Russian a$bassador to the nited

States, said the! were the result o an increase in $ilitar! training lights&

Such e%planations are "iewed with e%tre$e s(epticis$ here in Finland, where thecountr!s airspace was "iolated in *ugust three ti$es in one wee(& )he breaches

ca$e 1ust da!s beore Finland orged greater cooperation with N*)+ at the

alliances su$$it in Wales, and leaders here sa! the! were a clear signal ro$

6oscow that Finland dare not go an! urther&

Finland, a nation o : $illion people, has an 577#$ile border with Russia, which

has a population nearl! ;7 ti$es as large& 6oscow would undoubtedl! consider

N*)+ $e$bership a direct challenge in territor! that was $ar(ed asneutral space

during the .old War& * Kre$lin ad"iser said earlier this !ear that i Finland and

Sweden 1oin N*)+, it could lead to World War III&

Finland alread! has ta(en substantial steps toward the West, 1oining with ellow

European nion $e$bers in i$posing sanctions on Russia or its aggression in

(raine& 'ut Finland also has upped its trade ties with Russia and leans hea"il! on

its eastern neighbor or oil and gas&

FinnishForeign 6inisterEr((i )uo$io1a said in an inter"iew that Russia beneits

ro$ its relations with Finland and has no incenti"e to start a war&

Fro$ a Russian point o "iew, its the $ost stable and least proble$atic rontier

the! ha"e, and I belie"e the! want to (eep it that wa! as long as the! ha"e no reason

to belie"e that the Finnish territor! would be used or hostile action,/ )uo$io1a

said&

Still, Finland is ta(ing ew chances, boosting deense spending and border patrols

while tightening relations with Sweden& 3+ur thin(ing has alwa!s been that i
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nato-2014-summit-finland-ready-intercept-russian-planes-after-third-airspace-violation-week-1463186http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_finlandisation_of_ukraine342http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_finlandisation_of_ukraine342http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_finlandisation_of_ukraine342http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140612/DEFREG01/306120040/Russia-Warns-Sweden-Finland-Against-NATO-Membershiphttp://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nato-2014-summit-finland-ready-intercept-russian-planes-after-third-airspace-violation-week-1463186http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_finlandisation_of_ukraine342http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_finlandisation_of_ukraine342http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140612/DEFREG01/306120040/Russia-Warns-Sweden-Finland-Against-NATO-Membershiphttp://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2


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Russia co$es here, it $ight $ean the end o us, but it would cost Russia so $uch

the! would thin( twice,/ said Hanna S$ith, a Russia scholar at the ni"ersit! o

Helsin(i&

Niinisto suggested that logic still stands, pointing to the countr!s -uarter#$illion#strong ar$ed orces, which are supported through conscription, and noting that

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Finland Feeling Vulnerable Amid Russian Provocations