Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russia’s state broadcaster Russia 1 that before Finland joined NATO, “there were no problems, but in the future there will be problems.”
CNN
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that there will be “problems” with neighboring Finland, which joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) earlier this year.
Finland’s entry into NATO marked a major change in the security environment in northern Europe, adding approximately 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) to the alliance’s border with Russia.
It was also a blow to President Putin, who had long warned against expanding NATO.
“They (the West) occupied Finland and dragged it into NATO! Why was there any conflict with Finland? All conflicts, including territorial disputes in the mid-20th century, were resolved long ago ” Putin said in an interview published Sunday.
In an interview with Russia’s state broadcaster Russia 1, President Putin said: “Before there were no problems, but from now on there will be problems, because we created the Leningrad Military District there and we will definitely put military forces there.” It makes me concentrate,” he added.
Putin also warned earlier this month that he would “continue to act” if he occupied Ukraine, suggesting Russia could eventually attack NATO allies and draw U.S. forces into the conflict. dismissed US President Joe Biden’s comments as “utter nonsense”.
The Russian leader said that Russia has “no reason, no interest, no geopolitical interests, no economic, political or military interests in fighting with NATO countries” and that the Russian government does not have any territorial claims in NATO countries. No, he added.
Putin added: “We have no intention of damaging relations with them (NATO countries). We are interested in developing relations.”
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Finland joined NATO in April, becoming its 31st member, doubling the security alliance’s immediate border with Russia.
Even before launching the invasion of Ukraine, President Putin had called on NATO to limit its expansion. However, when President Sauli Niinistö announced in May 2022 that the country would seek to join, he said that it was the war that had “changed Finland’s security environment” and that the Nordic countries now wanted to join the alliance. said.
Within months of the application, the Finnish government announced it would spend about $143 million to build a barrier fence along Finland’s 830-mile eastern border with Russia, which had previously had little security protection.
Heikki Saukkomer/Lehtikuva/AFP/Getty Images
Finland has closed its eastern border with Russia for a month after a surge in migrant arrivals in what the city of Helsinki labeled as a hybrid attack by Russia, the interior minister said.
Finland again closed its entire border with Russia this week, citing claims that hundreds of people were trying to cross without visas.
After the new closures were announced last month, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo accused Russia of “enabling the toolification of people and guiding them to the Finnish border in harsh winter conditions.” Finland is determined to put an end to this phenomenon. ”