Posted on 06/22/2022 7:41:40 AM PDT by Red Badger
General Timo Kivinen said Finland has prepared for decades for a Russian attack and would put up stiff resistance if it happened. He added a crucial factor is Finns would be motivated to fight.
The defence chief said: "Ukraine has been a tough bite to chew [for Russia] and so would be Finland."
He added the Nordic country has built up a substantial arsenal.
General Kivinen said: "We have systematically developed our military defence precisely for this type of warfare that is being waged there [in Ukraine], with a massive use of firepower, armoured forces and also airforces."
Helsinki has kept up a high level of military preparedness since World War Two.
Finland fought two wars in the 1940s against Russia with which it shares an 810-mile border.
Once non-aligned, it is now applying to join the NATO military alliance in the wake of concerns Russia could invade as it did Ukraine on February 24.
The nation of 5.5 million has a wartime troop strength of some 280,000 with 870,000 trained reservists.
Unlike other Western nations, Finland did not abolish military conscription for males after the end of the Cold War.
It has built one of Europe's strongest artilleries and stocked up on cruise missiles with a range of up to 230 miles. It spends two percent of its GDP on defence, which is higher than many NATO countries.
Helsinki is also ordering four new warships as well as 64 F-35 fighter jets from the US defence giant Lockheed Martin.
It plans to order up to 2,000 drones, its own high altitude anti-aircraft equipment and is building barriers along its border with Russia.
In a poll carried out by the defence ministry last month, 82 percent of respondents said they would be willing to participate in national defence if Finland were attacked.
No one seriously thinks Russia will invade Finland.
No one seriously thought Russia would invade Ukraine........
I wouldn’t poke the bear. He may sink Helsinki to hell with a nuke. I wish everybody would cool their heels and work to resolve the issue instead of inflaming it.
No one ever gave Finns a prize for deep thought.
“No one seriously thinks Russia will invade Finland.”
Agree, simply projection by the Neocons.
biden loves mushrooms; Americans not so much
I wonder if the Russians would be stupid enough to attack during winter, again.
While the Finnish went to fight the Russian in a possible winter war, what would the Muslim immigrants be doing in Helsinki?
Just asking.
Pardon me for learning to ask, but what do the US Democrats have going in Finland?
Quite the contrary. Putin and other Russian leaders have been extremely clear for many years that NATO overtures toward Ukraine were basically an act of war. The West caused this whole war. Russia sees Ukraine as part of Russia and NATO is not welcome. On the other hand, Finland is not seen as part of the Russian Empire and would be far less likely to be invaded.
Russia won’t be invading any NATO countries I think, despite the fearmongering of many posters around here.
Isn't that the truth? All we get is men saying they are slinging the biggest dick.
You would think at this point, Russia doesn't have the capability to open a new front, against another well-armed enemy.
“I wish everybody would cool their heels and work to resolve the issue instead of inflaming it.”
Yeah, then tell Putin to stop invading his neighbors and threatening to nuke the world when people actually fight back.
Except that Finland was part of the Russian Empire (but not part of the USSR), so if Putin wants to reconstitute the Russian Empire of tsarist days, Finland is indeed on the menu.
It’s when Russia says they have no intention of invading that you need to worry.
When they are threatening to invade, you’re safe.
There was peace and prosperity.
Among many other promises, he had an excellent, workable plan to vitalize America's inner cities and bring prosperity and security to Black America. That's the last thing the Democrat Party and Establishment Republicans want to happen.
What really made them hate Trump and resolve to stop him at all costs--even the destruction of the USA--was his vow to Make America Great Again and Clean Up Washington. That threatened their cashcow and privileges to parasitize the American working man and woman. They have spent the last 6 years trying to stop him, destroy him, destroy his family, and destroy his supporters.
Now for the first time since Ronald Reagan led America to victory in the Cold War, the horrifying spectre of nuclear war looms over the world.
That's exactly what we have done.
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