Posted on 04/11/2022 9:33:41 AM PDT by blam
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday issued a new warning against Finland and Sweden seeking NATO membership, after the Sunday Times reported that “Finland’s application is expected in June, with Sweden expected to follow.”
Peskov said that “the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation” – but Washington is said to be supporting the move, with Western officials cited as saying that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is proving to be a “massive strategic blunder”.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Image: Finnish govt
It was first revealed last week that Finland in particular has changed its thinking regarding its historic neutrality on the NATO question; however, there would be a period of domestic political debate before any application is made, and also with Sweden expected to determine its course independently.
After those reports first emerged days ago, a Russia lawmaker from parliament’s upper house, Vladimir Dzhabarov of the Federation Council, issued the most dire warning from among Moscow officials, threatening that such a “strategic mistake” as Helsinki petitioning NATO means Finland “would become a target.”
“I think it [would be] a terrible tragedy for the entire Finnish people,” said Dzhabarov. He also strongly suggested it would result in “the destruction of their country.”
He expressed hope that it’s unlikely that “the Finns themselves will sign a card for the destruction of their country” – as originally cited in RIA Novosti. The Finnish foreign ministry subsequently said it “does not comment on the statements of individual MPs” when asked to respond.
According to a recent Axios report, “60% of Finns now support joining NATO, according to a survey conducted last month — a 34-point jump from last fall, and the highest level since polling on the issue began in 1998.”
Map: The Daily Mail
Early this month Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin signal a complete reversal of policy direction, saying that a “new security environment” in Europe brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means the country has to rethink its long-standing policy of neutrality toward the NATO bloc. “Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was,” she said of Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, calling it a “flagrant violation”.
“In this new situation and changed security environment, we’ll have to evaluate all means to guarantee the safety of Finland and Finns,” Marin said. “We’ll have to seriously mull over our own stance and approach to military alignment. We’ll have to do this carefully but quickly, effectively during the course of this spring.”
I am skeptical that even 20% of their warheads are in working condition.
***That would still be a fool’s bet.
I think the opposite is true, they were always aware the of the Russian threat, but so they were afraid of making a move that would be viewed as provoking them.
But now that they see how inept Russia is, they feel more freely to openly defy them.
I hope we can deliver them quickly.
Putin is most likely bluffing. Putin already has one more war than he can handle. But I don’t doubt that he would like to take Finland’s territory too.
Expanding NATO was not part of MAGA circa 2016. Who knows what Trump really thinks now. Trump allows himself to be played by his current political emergency advisors. Trump’s Covid calamity was all based on the politics of avoidance of blame. How does Trump voice the fact that Russia, like every other single country, has legitimate security concerns? He’d be labeled a Putin stooge, like me.
I’ve spent a good bit of time in Finland over the past 20 years. It will be no Ukraine-like fight. Finland will take the battle to Russia.
Finns still don’t like Russians. There is a general contempt for them.
The Finns are well trained and well armed with the good stuff.
Russia better man up if they plan on doing anything more than lob a bunch of rockets.
Putin has opened Pandora’s box and he doesn’t have the capability of closing it…he should negotiate for peace, declare victory, and go back to hunting musk ox or something…
How does Trump voice the fact that Russia, like every other single country, has legitimate security concerns?
***Trump has said explicitly that he supports Ukraine in this conflict, so that’s how he has voiced his viewpoint over Russia’s so-called “legitimate security concerns”. Indeed, they are quite ILLegitimate. Russia is primarily taking on those regions due to oil & gas discovered there.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4050958/posts
Russia has thousands of nuke warheads, so what ARE their legitimate security concerns? That their neighbors would invade THEM? Bullshiite.
Finland doesn’t need trade with Russia anymore?
Finland also doesn’t want to be next on Putin’s list of Country’s to be invaded in the thinnest of pretexts either...
Sounds like Finland will be chucking some more orcs into Dead Orc Storage. Invading Finland didn’t work so well for the orcs the last time they tried it.
Finland imports $6.1 billion in trade from Russia. Germany is about double that. Sweden about $8 billion worth.
Russia is #5 for imports to Finland. But not in top 10 in exports from Finland to Russia.
Pretty small percentage in overall trade.
Interesting that specific petroleum products lead both imports and exports between the two countries.
NATO is out of control, determined to start a war with Russia. And the US is either leading it or thinks it’s a good idea.
This. Is. Insane.
We need to leave NATO, NOW!!!
Invite Belarus into the club.
Wow, crazy how so many are blinded by the one-world government spell.
Central control globalism hell hasn’t hurt them enough yet, I guess.
Ah yes, glad you stepped up to illustrate the point. You’d best stick with your media masters’ talking points. When you freelance you show your utter lack of depth or understanding. Its only the end of civilization that you’re so flippant about.
“Russia has thousands of nuke warheads, so what ARE their legitimate security concerns? That their neighbors would invade THEM? Bullshiite.“
So, brainiac, why haven’t they nuked the world? You go to MAD over some regional conflict. Again, let the media continue thinking for you, it’s a better look for you.
What are you smoking?
Norway has a border with Russia and Norway was a founder member of NATO in 1949.
In 1999 Poland requested and was accepted into NATO. Poland borders Russia at kaliningrad.
And in 2004 the Baltics joined NATO. That is 5 countries that are part of NATO and border Russia
Finland was grabbed by russia in 1805. They had forced russification in the late 1800s.
They fought off Russia twice in the winter war and the continuation war.
The country wants yo join NATO to keep off the Russian eagle.
Ah yes, glad you stepped up to illustrate the point.
***Which you promptly SIDEstepped. Why would Russia be afraid of any of their neighbors invading THEM? Sidestepped.
You’d best stick with your media masters’ talking points.
***You’d best stick to your Russian SideSteppe Dance.
When you freelance you show your utter lack of depth or understanding.
***When you sidestep you show your utter lack of critical thinking skills. Take a critical thinking class.
Its only the end of civilization that you’re so flippant about.
***Just who the hell is about to invade Russia and cause that “end of civilization” thingie? Georgia?
“Russia has thousands of nuke warheads, so what ARE their legitimate security concerns? That their neighbors would invade THEM? Bullshiite.“
***Look, you even quote it in order to sidestep it.
So, brainiac, why haven’t they nuked the world?
***Because they’ll get nuked back. Duhh. Gigantic Duhh factor. And also a major sidestep. In essence it adds up to bein’ a straw argument.
You go to MAD over some regional conflict.
***Your shiite doesn’t even make sense. Russia gonna go Mutual Assured Destruction MAD over some dumbasses in Donbass? No fracking way. Literally.
Again, let the media continue thinking for you, it’s a better look for you.
***Maybe some day you will actually make a sound reasoning point. But not today. Take that critical thinking class.
Finland’s top 20 trading partners
Germany: US$8.8 billion (13.3% of Finland’s total exports)
Sweden: $6.4 billion (9.6%)
United States: $5.5 billion (8.3%)
Netherlands: $4.2 billion (6.4%)
China: $3.4 billion (5.1%)
Russia: $3.3 billion (5%)
United Kingdom: $2.3 billion (3.5%)
France: $2 billion (3%)
Estonia: $1.9 billion (2.8%)
Belgium: $1.8 billion (2.7%)
Norway: $1.6 billion (2.4%)
Poland: $1.6 billion (2.4%)
Italy: $1.5 billion (2.3%)
Japan: $1.1 billion (1.6%)
Spain: $970.1 million (1.5%)
Over two-thirds (69.8%) of Finnish exports in 2020 were delivered to the above 15 trade partners.
I guess they are willing yo give up that 5% if that means freedom from the Muscowy yoke
NATO World Order
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