finland russia relations

But now the Russians have showed that it doesn't matter. Contrary to the idea that Helsinki was afraid of Russian military action against Finland, the decision to apply for NATO membership in May was based above all on proactive risk management. That comes through general conscription because, that way, every family more or less is tied up in the [country's] defense. 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. This is a harsh and perhaps a realist school of thought reminder especially for smaller states. To what extent does President Vladimir Putin have himself to blame for this outcome? Finlands Russia policy since the end of the Cold War has been labeled by many as naive, where risks and unpleasant facts were completely ignored. After decades of neutrality, Finland has now formally applied to join NATO. A formal announcement from Niinist and Marin of Finlands intention to apply for membership is expected on Sunday. Given widespread support for the existing state of affairs, Finland has not seen the same kind of political meddling that Russia has been accused of in many European states and the US, Mr Kangaspuro says. As a result, Finland had to ensure it could fend for itself. Toveri: From Russia's point of view, it's a big [problem] because now the Baltic Sea will practically become a lake [belonging to] NATO. We tried to choose our way of, like I said, survival during that time. It had to relocate 400,000 inhabitants, or 11% of its population, from lost territories. And secondly, they might try to deploy more military units close to our border and maybe some military instruments as well. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. While Finland shares a 1,340km (830-mile) border with Russia, its present relationship with the country is vastly different from that of Moscow's neighbours in the Baltics and Eastern Europe that fret publicly about Mr Putin's agenda in the region after the annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014. On Friday, the Finnish Border Guards head of international affairs Matti Pitkaniitty said on Twitter that the proposed barrier fence is much more than just a fence. Pekka Toveri: The Croatian president, as I understand, has a special relationship with the Russians, but the Croatian government has a totally different view and the president is not the one who determines things. Under the rule of Russian tsars Finland kept all the taxes collected on its territory, the decisions of Finnish courts were not subject of review by Russian courts, and all government positions (except for the Governor General) were occupied by natives of Finland. Finland in 2021 sent 5.4% of its. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. - In 1981, in what in the West was dubbed the Whiskey on the Rocks incident, a Soviet Whiskey-class submarine ran aground on the coast in southern Sweden. So I think that they could help there. "Almost no one thinks it would [now] be time to apply as a member state.". 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. We don't know what NATO wants us to give them. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. - Finland had to also sign the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance with Russia in 1948, cementing a degree of economic and political dependency and isolating it militarily from western Europe. - Sweden lent some military aircraft to Finland when it was attacked by Russia during the Winter War in 1939, but it remained neutral throughout the World War Two and the Cold War. Kajanmaa: Of course, Russia can harm [Finland] and they are trying to put pressure on our decision-makers. In Finland, people said their country's entry into NATO made them feel more secure. Finlands former Ambassador to Russia, Mr. Ren Nyberg, has described Russia as the insoluble dilemma of Finland's foreign policy. Thus, it seems that Finland will face its traditional dilemmas and problems mostly in a new context and as part of an alliance. The spying was uncovered in spring 2013, and as of October 2013[update] the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) was investigating the breach. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. 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. RFE/RL: I know Finland very closely cooperates with NATO, in NATO's Partnership For Peace program and has taken part in NATO missions. But despite its namesake, the term does not apply to the Finland-Russia relationship of today. Their economic power is very small, because even before the war, our trade with Russia was something like 5 percent of the total trade in Finland. Published Unfortunately, even NATO membership does not offer Finland security vis--vis Russia. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. If Finland joins NATO, then we are on the enemy side, so to say. A Looming Cable Race in the Arctic: What Role for NATO? Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Trevelyan relative 'would consider' famine payment, Four dead after suspected pigeon racer dispute, Adidas sued by investors over Kanye West deal, Suspected IS chief killed in Syria, Turkey says, UK chip giant Arm files for blockbuster share sale. They don't have any land force [to do that]; 80 percent of their combat-capable land forces are in Ukraine. Moscow says the funnelling of heavy weaponry to Ukraine by NATO countries since the war began proves the West is bent on destroying Russia. 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. Kajanmaa: Yes, it's [clear] that it's one of the biggest topics [of discussion]. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. 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. The same is now being done in other western capitals as well. What can Russia actually do? Toveri: The thing is that 90 percent of that border is wilderness, it's just forestno road, no network, no anything. land Islands. After 10 days of tense diplomatic exchanges the submarine was tugged off the rocks and returned to the Soviets. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. NATO has repeatedly stressed that it is solely a defensive alliance and does not threaten Russia. 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. One reason could be that the Kremlin has made clear that any move on Finland's part to join Nato could invite a strong Russian response. So there's not much they can stop. 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. Flashpoints include the country's purchase of an S-400 air defence system from Russia, armed offensives against American-backed Kurdish insurgents in Syria, accusations of American support for a . Read about our approach to external linking. "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. This question has been building for some time. 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. On Tuesday, member of the Russian State Duma, Alexey Chepa, issued a stark warning, saying that if NATO. 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. 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. "But now we'll consider it as a state that is unfriendly to us.". Relations since then have been both warm and cool, fluctuating with time. Read about our approach to external linking. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the surrounding region though research and exchange. HELSINKI/BRUSSELS, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland formally joined NATO on Tuesday, its flag unfurling outside the military bloc's Brussels headquarters, in a historic policy shift brought on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine that drew a threat from Moscow of "counter-measures.". It goes without saying that self-reflection regarding Russia is needed. What NATO military infrastructure do you expect to be introduced in Finland, in terms of bases, air-defense systems, for example? According to the Kremlin statement, the two leaders also discussed Russias military operation in Ukraine, and the possibility of achieving a political solution. And if you go down souththat is where the major Baltic Sea forces of Russia are, at Kaliningrad, close to Poland. "@timorahkonen @GeromanAT All through the Cold War Finland was neutral and even had good relations with the bear. Correction: This story has been amended to reflect that Finland was not a NATO member at time of publication. 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. Read more, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NWWashington, DC 20004-3027, The President of the Republic Sauli Niinist spoke at the ambassadors' meeting on August 23, 2022, Foreign Policy Advisor for the National Coalition Party in Finland, 2023 The Wilson Center. The Finnish president told Putin by phone that his country would apply for Nato membership. "This is now a thing of the past. - In the chaos resulting from the Russian Revolution in 1917, Finland declared its independence on Dec. 6 that year. 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. In 1948, the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance was signed between the Soviet Union and Finland, providing a key basis for relations between the two states that was to last . Is that not a cause of concern if Russia is making mischief? 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. Niinist said he had already told Putin at their first meeting in 2012 that each independent nation would maximise its own security. So Russia's ability to have any military operations there will be. 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. The Ukraine crisis has strengthened Finland's transatlantic relations with the United States. 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. For decades, Finland opted not to join any military alliance in an effort meant to appease Russia's security concerns. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Anne Kauranen in Helsinki and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm This does not mean Finland would no longer oppose Russias imperialism or stop supporting Ukraine by all possible means. If not publicly then at least in private, Finland has always been prepared for the Russian threat. It is one of the few European countries to have retained a conscription army through decades of peace, wary of Russia next door. By Elisabeth Braw, a columnist at. Throughout its independence since 1917, Finland has sought a tolerable and manageable security balance with Russia. The Government deems that the Russian mobilization and the rapidly increasing volume of tourists arriving in Finland and transiting via Finland endanger Finlands international position and international relations, Finlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement at the time. Norwegians laugh at new fence on Russian border, Nato sends 'alive and strong' message from Estonia. 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. In dropping non-alignment, Russia's Foreign Ministry said, Finland was committing a dangerous historical mistake that would fray relations with Moscow and undo its status as a confidence-building presence in the Baltic Sea and Europe at large. "Russian aggression clearly proves that only collective guarantees, only preventive guarantees, can be reliable. Now we have power also behind us, not just our own forces.". Population migration from other parts of Russia to Finland was de facto prohibited until early 1900's. In late August Finland's foreign policy leadership gathered in Helsinki for the Annual Heads of Mission meeting to discuss current security and foreign affairs. Analysts say Finland is friendly with Russia but remains hard-headed and realistic. Especially when the current Kremlin is ready to wage an open war of aggression against its neighboring countries and is willing to cut ties with the West. However, the Soviet Union did not abide by the treaty when they blockaded Finnish naval ships. A foreign ministry statement said the move would seriously damage bilateral relations . So where does Finland stand vis--vis its giant neighbour next door? Bilateral Economic Relations Finland welcomes foreign investment. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Since the end of the Cold War three decades ago, Moscow has watched successive waves of NATO enlargement, and the issue was contentious even before the invasion of Ukraine. 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. [11], Russia is suspected of large-scale spying on the IT networks at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Furthermore, Russia sees Finland's inclusion in NATO as a threat to Russian national security since the United States would likely be able to deploy military equipment in Finland if the country were to join NATO. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstroem told reporters it was Stockholm's ambition to become a member at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July. HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Finland and Sweden, who are expected to decide this week to apply to join NATO, have long had strained ties with their giant neighbour Russia. Finland has an embassy in Moscow,[1] a consulate-general in Saint Petersburg and two branches of the consulate (in Murmansk and Petrozavodsk). Russia has a couple of 100 kilometers of shoreline in the Baltic Sea, which is 98 percent surrounded by NATO countries. 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. 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. Finland granted the islands autonomy in 1920 but . Kajanmaa: Of course, we will double, more than double, NATO's border with Russia and we know exactly what's behind that border, mostly forested areas. 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. Furthermore, Niinist said that Russian demands threaten the "European security order". ", [Russia could stop] selling us gas. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. - Joining the EU and signing its mutual defence clause meant Finland switched from formal neutrality to military non-alignment, but Finland opted to stay out of Western defence alliance NATO. Finland remained neutral since a 1948 treaty with the Soviet Union and independent since 1917. In turn, Alexander I granted Finland, for the first time in Finnish history, a statehood as Grand Duchy of Finland and gave Finnish language an official status (prior to 1819 Swedish was the only official language in Finland). Russia and the West: A century of subversion and suspicion. Paraguay's President-elect Santiago Pena: puppet or pragmatist? - 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. 2023 BBC. The discussion [with Putin] was straightforward and unambiguous and was held without exaggeration. RFE/RL: Is there a sense of concern in Finnish society? We were between East and West and the Soviet Union was a totally different player than Russia is now. It was our survival mechanism. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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.Right now, they don't have enough troops to do that because they are busy in Ukraine. Finland cannot rely on the effectiveness of Russian border control, the statement said. RFE/RL: The Kremlin has threatened Finland with "military and political consequences." - Eventually the end of the Cold War allowed Finland to step out of Russia's shadow and join the European Union in 1995 as well as the eurozone in 1999. Almost 17,000 Russians traveled to Finland last weekend in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin 's announcement of a partial military mobilization of 300,000 citizens to aid the war . What Threat Does Russia Pose To Finland? Did you encounter any technical issues? REUTERS/Johanna Geron. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Relations with Finland Last updated: 05 Jul. In recent years this has been visible through several high-level meetings between Russia and the United States which have been facilitated by Helsinki. In an agreement reached late last year, Helsinki agreed to buy 64 F-35 Lightning II Strike Fighters with its maintenance and support package by 2030 from the United States. Thus, Finland's future relationship with Russia will find its place in the middle ground between old and new doctrines. 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. [13], In December 2021, Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs pressured Finland and Sweden to refrain from joining NATO. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. They can move troops very close to the border. When European security deteriorated after 2014, Finlands threat perception did not waver. Flickr/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland. Finland played a difficult game during that period, acquiescing to the Soviet Union in many respects and not challenging it but maintaining its independence and political system. [15], In the wake of the 24 February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, support among the Finnish populace for NATO membership increased from below 30% to 60-70%. "[The] wide consensus between leading politicians is that it is not timely to discuss this issue," he says. [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. The country is the main reason for Finland to join NATO - while at the same time being the main reason for it not to join. "What do you think we will do in this situation? Faloon, Brian S. "The Dimensions of Independence: The Case of Finland. However, Finlands previous close and active communication with Russia at its height of power should be left on the shelf for the time being, but these channels should be kept in the reserve for when and if their time comes. If this was not the case, Finland would not be the kind of country to which, for example, the United States would have sold its state-of-the-art military capabilities for the past 25 years. It is not something away from anybody, Niinist said. It's more or less threatening. Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Certain realities, however, will not change. From midnight 1314 May 2022, Russia suspended electricity supplies to Finland. For years, Russia has said Finland shouldn't join NATO, but it's Finland's decision, [and that has] been good enough for Finland. 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. The decision now lies with the parliaments of NATO countries, which need to ratify Finland's application. 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. 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. So, it will change the basic relationship. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. We can't lower our guard. 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. It said while the resolution aims to stop tourism and related transit from Russia altogether it will not prevent traveling when it is deemed necessary for humanitarian reasons, for national interests or for meeting Finlands international obligations., According to a November press release by the Finnish Border Guard, the amount of entries has decreased significantly after the restrictions came into force.. - 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. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Additionally, he believes that transatlantic cooperation is needed for the maintenance of sovereignty and security of some EU member states, including Finland. - Joseph Stalin's Red Army attacked Finland in 1939, starting what became known as the Winter War in which Finland fought off the Soviet invasion attempt on its own. It fought two wars against the Soviet Union between 1939 and 1944, and lost territory as a result. Relations between Moscow and Helsinki have soured after Finland said it would apply to join NATO in reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. . We will participate most probably in Baltic air surveillance activities. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Toveri: That is a difficult question to answer. [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. Finnish president Sauli Niinist offered one illustration of Russia's approach in an interview in February 2022, recalling Vladimir Putin's warning from 2016: "When we look across the border now, we see a Finn on the other side. It's not nothing, but it's not as serious as it sounds. Over 900 Finnish businesses had invested in Russia by 2019. Vladimir Putin and Sauli Niinist in 2019. Vazha Tavberidze is a staff writer with RFE/RL's Georgian Service. We are sure that history will judge this hasty step," a ministry statement said. ", We are pretty sure that [Russia] 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.". The fallout between Russia and the West does not wipe away Finlands decades long experience dealing with Russians. Undoubtedly we appreciate Finland's neutral status.". The always present potential of Russias threat had to be viewed from a different perspective after February. "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.". All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Europe can't decide if it wants to punish ordinary Russians for Putin's war. Applying for NATO membership in the spring of 2022 falls in line with this tradition. By joining Nato, Finland will strengthen its own security and assume its responsibilities. And it has been a close partner of Nato since the 1990s - sending troops to operations led by the alliance in the Balkans and Afghanistan, and maintaining a relationship that is now said to be as close as it can be without Finland officially joining as a member. I'd say that the most vulnerable thing is our communications, because Finland is logistically an island and almost 90 percent of our trade goes on Western sea lines of communications. 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