Russia warns Finland over deal to strengthen military ties with US

Dec 19, 2023

Ryan Robertson Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Zachary Hill (Editor)

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Tensions that Moscow said had been put to bed between Finland and Russia are heating up again after Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement (DCA) with the U.S. Finland and Russia share a long border and have a troubled history, most notably the 1939 Winter War, when Finland repelled an invasion by the militarily superior Soviet Union.

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We see that Russia will remain a threat to global security for the foreseeable future.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen

President Vladimir Putin is warning of what he calls “problems” with Finland now that it has joined NATO. Over the weekend, Putin said Moscow would concentrate military units near the border.

On Monday, Dec. 18, the U.S. and Finland solidified an agreement to bolster military cooperation, which gives the U.S. wide access to territory along the Finland-Russia border. U.S. and Finland officials said the deal is a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“Finland knows almost better than anyone what is at stake for Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “In 1939, the fins also faced a Russian invasion and proved that a free nation can put up an incredibly powerful and resilient resistance.”

Blinken also said that Russia almost certainly won’t stop with Ukraine, concerns that have spread across Europe after Russia’s invasion. Though Putin recently dismissed that idea, calling similar remarks by President Biden “complete nonsense.”

Signed on Monday, the DCA allows the Finnish and U.S. military the opportunity to train together and allows the U.S. military quick access if any conflict were to arise.

Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen called the agreement a milestone for U.S. and Finnish relations.

Ambassador Hickey: “Today, the 🇺🇸 & 🇫🇮 expanded their security partnership with the signing of a Defense Cooperation Agreement. Thank you to the negotiating teams for the excellent collaboration on an agreement that will strengthen transatlantic security.” https://t.co/oJKj1L3hXN
— U.S. Embassy Finland (@usembfinland) December 18, 2023

“We do not expect the United States to take care of the defense of Finland; we continue to invest in our defense and share the burden in our area and beyond,” Häkkänen said. “However, this agreement significantly enhances our ability to act together in all situations.”

“Responsibility for turning a zone of good-neighborliness in this region into a zone of possible confrontation lies entirely with the current Finnish authorities,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in response to the DCA.

But Finnish officials said Russia forced the country’s hand.

“We see that Russia will remain a threat to global security for the foreseeable future,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said.

Tags: Antony Blinken, Finland, Joe Biden, NATO, Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin

[Ryan Robertson]

TENSIONS BETWEEN FINLAND AND RUSSIA ARE HEATING UP AGAIN – TENSIONS THAT MOSCOW SAYS WERE PUT TO BED YEARS AGO.

THE TWO COUNTRIES SHARE A LONG BORDER AND HAVE A TROUBLED HISTORY — MOST NOTABLY THE 1939 WINTER WAR WHEN FINLAND REPELLED AN INVASION BY THE MILITARILY SUPERIOR SOVIET UNION.. .

NOW PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IS WARNING OF WHAT HE CALLS QUOTE “PROBLEMS” WITH FINLAND NOW THAT IT HAS JOINED NATO. SAYING OVER THE WEEKEND THAT MOSCOW WOULD CONCENTRATE MILITARY UNITS NEAR THE BORDER.

ON MONDAY, THE U-S AND FINLAND SOLIDIFIED AN AGREEMENT TO BOLSTER MILITARY COOPERATION — A DEAL THAT GIVES THE U.S. WIDE ACCESS TO TERRITORY ALONG THE FINLAND-RUSSIA BORDER.

U-S AND FINLAND OFFICIALS SAY THE DEAL IS A RESULT OF RUSSIA’S FULL SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE.

[ANTONY BLINKEN – SECRETARY OF STATE]

“FINLAND KNOWS ALMOST BETTER THAN ANYONE WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR UKRAINE. IN 1939 THE FINS ALSO FACED A RUSSIAN INVASION AND PROVED THAT A FREE NATION CAN PUT UP AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND RESILIENT RESISTANCE.”

[Ryan Robertson]

BLINKEN GOING ON TO SAY THAT RUSSIA ALMOST CERTAINLY WON’T STOP WITH UKRAINE.

CONCERNS THAT HAVE SPREAD ACROSS EUROPE AFTER RUSSIA’S INVASION. THOUGH PUTIN RECENTLY DISMISSED THAT IDEA, CALLING SIMILAR REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BIDEN QUOTE “COMPLETE NONSENSE.”

MONDAY’S DEFENSE COOPERATION AGREEMENT – ALLOWS THE FINNISH AND U-S MILITARY THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN TOGETHER AND ALLOWS THE U-S MILITARY QUICK ACCESS IF ANY CONFLICT WERE TO ARISE.

FOLLOWING THE AGREEMENT FINLAND’S DEFENSE MINISTER CALLED THE DCA A MILESTONE FOR U-S AND FINNISH RELATIONS.

[ANTTI HÄKKÄNEN – FINNISH DEFENSE MINISTER]

“WE DO NOT EXPECT THE UNITED STATES TO TAKE CARE OF THE DEFENSE OF FINLAND, WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR DEFENSE AND SHARE THE BURDEN IN OUR AREA AND BEYOND. HOWEVER, THIS AGREEMENT SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCES OUR ABILITY TO ACT TOGETHER IN ALL SITUATIONS.”

[Ryan Robertson]

RELATIONS THAT SEEMED AMICABLE BETWEEN FINLAND AND RUSSIA ARE SEEMINGLY CRUMBLING.

THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTERY RESPONDED TO NEWS OF THE D-C-A SAYING QUOTE:

“RESPONSIBILITY FOR TURNING A ZONE OF GOOD-NEIGHBOURLINESS IN THIS REGION INTO A ZONE OF POSSIBLE CONFRONTATION LIES ENTIRELY WITH THE CURRENT FINNISH AUTHORITIES.”

BUT FINNISH OFFICIALS SAY RUSSIA FORCED ITS HAND.

[Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen]

“WE SEE THAT RUSSIA WILL REMAIN A THREAT TO GLOBAL SECURITY FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.”