President Vladimir Putin suggested on Friday Russia could move its troops closer to the Finnish-Russian border if Finland joins NATO and called for measures to improve conflict prevention over the Baltic.
Finnish armed forces "would become part of NATO's military infrastructure, which overnight would be at the borders of the Russian Federation", Putin said after meeting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
"Do you think we will keep it as it is: our troops at 1,500 (kilometers, 900 miles) away?"
Putin's first visit to Finland since the Ukraine crisis erupted in 2014 comes amid increased Russian and NATO activity in the Baltic region, and with the militarily neutral Finland and neighboring Sweden increasing their co-operation with NATO. It also comes a week before a NATO summit in Warsaw.
Lol at the bolded part. His lies are becoming more and more absurd
His point is that he has enough power to be able to say say that and not get challenged. He can lay direct threats and be still welcomed. His target audience was not Finnish(our media had grand time mocking him) but Russian.
Niinistö could have replied yet again that as an independent nation we do not need help in making decisions on our security and defense strategies. And that we have about third of Russia's nuclear deterrent and good number of nuclear power plants within the range of our brand new cruise missile arsenal and rocket artillery, but that would have won nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Military realities are one thing, constructing a political story another. It fits Russia's story(for its own people) to tell how they can smash this or that neighbor who is US's/EU pawn at will while the relations remain "good" = "they are not in the opposing camp of the grand East vs. West conflict despite fearing us, this means that our cause has support abroad too!".
Fortunately, despite us being Russia's only neighbor who isnt China, Best Korea, in NATO or already controlled way or another or in conflict with Russia, there are far easier targets around if Russia wishes to flex its muscles. Since the 13th century at least there hasnt been such a long time of peace here, and I just dont believe that breaking it is someting Russia has in mind, yet, even if they wished to create another conflict. This situation could change rapidly though.
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Topic: Non-EU europe thread (with Russia, Israel and Australia included) (Read 274261 times)