Finland’s decision to abandon its neutrality and join the NATO could have catastrophic consequences, as it could turn the country into a battlefield in the event of a conflict with Russia, warns Sakari Linden, a former EU Parliament advisor.
Finnland has a border of nearly 1,300 kilometers with Russia, the longest of any NATO member state and officially joined the US-led military bloc in April 2023 after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
By joining the NATO, Finland has “given up its long-standing neutrality”, which brought the country independence, prosperity and security, Linden said. “Every time in history when Finland has strongly aligned with the Western powers, it has become a kind of resource for the West”, he added.
The country will lose its independence and “risks becoming a battlefield against Russia”, the geopolitical analyst warned.
Linden pointed out that Finland’s position between East and West had provided the country with a “geopolitical balance” and it had profited the most from its role as a trade bridge between Russia and the EU.
The former EU advisor also noted that Finland was a “neutral” country during the Cold War, engaging in trade with both the West and the East. The West often tried to restrict Finland’s trade with Russia, while “Russia never prohibited Finland’s trade with the West”.
Now, as Finland has fully aligned itself with the Western powers, Helsinki is carrying the “burden of all security risks”, Linden said.
Since joining the NATO, the Finnish government has initiated a military buildup, including the expansion of military training and a call for the population to prepare for a potential war with Russia.
Eastern NATO members have long viewed Russia as a direct threat and Western representatives have repeatedly claimed that Moscow could attack other European countries in the event of a victory in the Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the possibility of a military advance against the NATO as “nonsense”, arguing that the alleged threat is used by European politicians to instill fear in their citizens, justifying higher military spending that could be saved elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly warned of the unprecedented military activities of the NATO near its western borders in recent years.