Posted on 01/03/2022 2:38:25 PM PST by RomanSoldier19
Finland’s leaders say they will decide whether to join NATO despite warnings from Russia against joining the Western alliance, as the military standoff on Ukraine’s border has heightened tensions between Moscow, the US and Washington’s European allies.
“Finland’s room to maneuver and freedom of choice also include the possibility of military alignment and applying for NATO membership, should we ourselves so decide,” President Sauli Niinistö said in a New Year’s address over the weekend.
Niinistö also urged the European Union to become actively involved in curbing Russian aggression, saying: “In this situation, Europe cannot just listen in.”
Prime Minister Sanna Marin echoed Niinisto’s sentiments in her comments, saying Finland, which shares a border with Russia, will make its own security decisions.
“We have shown that we have learnt from the past,” she said. “We will not let go of our room for maneuver.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
“Finland’s leaders say they will decide whether to join NATO despite warnings from Russia against joining the Western alliance, as the military standoff on Ukraine’s border has heightened tensions between Moscow, the US and Washington’s European allies.”
Here’s the thing. Russia can take Finland whenever it wants. Why they would want it, is anyone’s guess.
Let Finland, Sweden and Ukraine join NATO providing we can leave it.
Didn’t work out quite so well for Russia the last time. It was the Red Army’s terrible performance against the Finns that encouraged Hitler to attack.
It is no wonder Russia has concerns about Finland joining nato...
Finland was one of Nazi Germany’s most important allies in the attack on the Soviet Union, allowing German troops to be based in Finland before the attack and joining in the attack on the USSR almost immediately...... The 1947 Paris Peace treaty signed by Finland stated that Finland had been “an ally of Hitlerite Germany” and bore partial responsibility for the conflict.
Didn’t the Finns harry the Germans out of Finland at the end of the war? I’ve seen pictures of signs left by German troops with messages along the lines “thanks a lot, “brothers in arms” my @ss.”
Gee I couldn’t possibly understand why Finland would seek out any help it could get against the Soviet Union. /s
Finland will jump into bed with anyone.....that’s why he said he wants the ability to “maneuver”.....
Excellent solution, then the European Nations can go back to the old ways of doing as they pleased to one another, and we, here in America can decide if California is going to join Mexico or Hawaii.
Russia attacked Finland before Finland was an ally of Germany. What did you want Finland to do?
Maybe we don’t want to defend Finland.
At least Finland has a relationship to water that might some day be in the North Atlantic. And I doubt Russia is interested in going back into Finland. Except for vacation.
Finland believed the Soviet Union wanted to expand into its territory and the Soviet Union feared Finland would allow itself to be used as a base from which enemies could attack which it did do. In fact Finland allied itself with Nazi Germany during the second world war not to prevent Soviet conquest but to win back territories lost to the USSR as a result of the winter war of 1939-40....
Actually even Roosevelt told Finland to stop aligning with Nazi Germany.
Invading, or even threatening Ukraine, is driving Finland into NATO.
Yes. Russia invaded Finland in the winter of 1939-40 and stole land. Russia was the bad guy.
“even Roosevelt” Really. Roosevelt was a closet Communist. You are surprised he was telling Finland to bow down to the Russians?
Finland allied itself with Nazi Germany during the second world war not to prevent Soviet conquest but to win back territories lost to the USSR as a result of the winter war of 1939-40. The peace treaty that ended the war in March 1940 left Finnish independence’ intact’....... It was the reckless act of joining the Nazi attack on the USSR that endangered Finland’s national existence and cost tens of thousands of lives.
.... In 1944-45 the Red Army could have occupied Finland with impunity, but Stalin chose not to, mainly because Finnish leaders admitted their error and pledged neutrality and friendship with the Soviet Union. “Finlandisation”, as it was called, enabled Finland to remain free of Soviet domination and communist takeover.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/23/why-finland-allied-itself-with-nazi-germany
Finland’s choice not Russia.
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