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Finland gears up for historic NATO decision

28 Comments
By Sam KINGSLEY

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The Finns should know from history that Russia cannot be trusted and had to promise to stay neutral just to keep the Russians from invading. Moscow seems to think that all of eastern Europe is Russian soil. Another European war could be on the horizon.

18 ( +19 / -1 )

as a deterrent against Russian aggression.

The above will probably soon be interpreted by Putin and his propagandists to mean once again 'NATO' has declared war on Russia. Next thing you know Putin and his propagandists might push another 'Finland's run by and overrun with Nazis' lies. fortunately most reasonable people around the world have tuned out Putin and his fellow extreme rightist's big lies. Putin's well-documented butchery throughout Ukraine, and in Grozny, Homs and Aleppo added to the lies the Kremlin and their global media have told blaming others for Russian atrocities have caught up with them. Putin still has Iran on his side, perhaps China plus of course Belarus. Fellow totalitarian nations banding together to fight democracies in the global battle to see which side controls the largest territory and the most resources, and pushes the planet fastest to environmental destruction. Democracies are rife with problems, but in most properly functioning ones tyrants like Putin can be limited in how long they stay in power. And also properly functioning democracies usually have the ability to check a tyrant who's gone mad with power, so mad he claims he'd use nukes.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Rebalance the situation ?

What does that presume to imply ?

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

in exchange for guarantees from Moscow that it would not invade.

A guarantee from Putin would be absolutely worthless, the Russian leader has shown he and his Kremlin mates have zero regard for truth and honesty, they cannot be trusted, they're little different from Stalin's 'Kremlin and Hitler's Nazis.

Putin, and his Kremlin, want to have greater control over the Arctic resources which Finland also has claims to. Now that China claims it, too has rights to the Arctic, things could get even nastier. Then there's Antarctica, and the entirety of the Pacific Ocean. Lots more territory to fight over. Leave sovereign nations alone. Respect current borders.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

It sounds like they see the benefit to safety in numbers.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

More unintended blowback for Russia thanks to Putin’s ill-judged invasion of Ukraine. 

First Blowback : Chech rep, Hungary and Poland - they join NATO in 1999 (before Vladimir Putin became president).

The Nordic nation of 5.5 million has traditionally been militarily non-aligned, in part to avoid provoking its eastern neighbor, with which it shares a 1,300-kilometer border.

It was a wise policy.

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

Finland is in neutrality and stable

why need to change ?

-15 ( +3 / -18 )

Finland is preparing for a potentially historic decision

It's truth - it will be a really historic decision. It can change a lot.

Never underestimate the capacity of Finns to take rapid decisions when the world changes,

rapid does not mean correct

-16 ( +3 / -19 )

It was a wise policy.

emphasis on was, past tense.

why need to change ?

my response to both these statements is that it’s blatantly obvious that Putin cannot be trusted, even with signed agreements.

He’s already started calling other countries neo-nazis (Latvia)

8 ( +11 / -3 )

It's an immensely difficult position to be in for any neighbour of Russia.

But, the decision has shifted in favour of who dares win, ie Russia. I would be having sleepless nights if I was a Finn, and my country voted to be a NATO member. Life would never be the same again, not if Germany relies on Russian gas.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Raytheon and Lockheed are rubbing their hands together.

Meanwhile NATO is planning for their next move to somehow sucker China into an aggressive reaction just as they did with Russia. Warmongers Unite!

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the global implications of the Ukrainian conflict had propelled the organisation to step up its engagement with Asia-Pacific partners for the first time.

“We have seen that China is unwilling to condemn Russia’s aggression. And Beijing has joined Moscow in questioning the right of nations to choose their own path,” Stoltenberg said.

“This is a serious challenge to us all. And it makes it even more important that we stand together to protect our values.”

-13 ( +4 / -17 )

Olegek, “First Blowback : Chech rep, Hungary and Poland” not surprising given how much they suffered at russian hands.

”It was a wise policy.” Yes, was when there was a chance promises might be kept but now with a demented dwarf squatting in the kremlin whose word no one would trust if he said the sky was blue there is no security at all in it. Poo tin has proved the only safety from him is sufficient fire power to destroy his tin pot army which the backing of NATO guarantees.

Fizzbit, your conspiracy theories are very entertaining, but in the real world you are way off the mark, the only threat to China is of its own creation from aggressive, imperialistic actions towards its neighbours.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Meanwhile NATO is planning for their next move to somehow sucker China into an aggressive reaction just as they did with Russia.

If every country in the world joins NATO then what?

huh, what ? You do know what NATO stands for right ?

It has nothing to do with Asia

Finland: Yeah, we want to be a target too!

Ukraine : we weren’t in NATO & we became a target

9 ( +11 / -2 )

It seems wrong that the people who live and vote in NATO countries do not get much of a say if they want Finland to join.

Their democratically elected governments are the peoples representatives. If they wish to object they contact their local elected official and do so and they send an email to their President or Prime Minister and object. It would take many thousands or hundreds of thousands or millions to take the time to object to have any baring at all.

I personally think its a bad idea because the obvious outcome is more tension and more chance of all-out NATO v Putin war.

The more modern military's in NATO the less likely Putin will want or endorse conflict with NATO, who would quickly end Russian ambitions in a conventional conflict and a WMD conflict would be no better outcome for Russia.

It sounds like they see the benefit to safety in numbers.

Exactly, the Finns have already said they do not want to be alone again in a future conflict.

This decision is the outcome of Putin's invasion and war. Probably Sweden is also thinking about it.

Finland and Sweden will most likely apply at the same time, they are in very close contact on this issue.

Finland is in neutrality and stable

why need to change ?

That is no barrier to Putin saying Finland used to be Russian and we want it back. They tried once when Finland was neutral, in 1939 under Stalin. Putin could try again like he is trying now in Ukraine.

Meanwhile NATO is planning for their next move to somehow sucker China into an aggressive reaction just as they did with Russia. Warmongers Unite!

There it is, more warmongering fiction. Russian ambitions of empire and treacherous leadership from Putin started this conflict with Ukraine. Russia scapegoats NATO and now some pro Russian commenters want China to get involved and pave a path by again using NATO as the stick. It's getting old.

@englisc aspyrgendToday 06:15 pm JST

Well said sir. Fully agree.

The fact the vast majority of Finns don't want to join NATO doesn't and shouldn't mean anything.

That would be news to most Finns who do indeed want to join NATO as fast as possible thanks to Russian aggression.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Russia phobia creates by media

arm dealers love creating conflicts

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

The Russian Government reckless invasion of Ukraine and the appalling crimes against humanity, genocide, mounting evidence of atrocities, rape, is responsible for this fear fest, may I suggest justified paranoia.

Europe is witnessing an arms race, one step closer to Armageddon.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Russia phobia creates by media

No, it is created by Putin invading sovereign nations, destroying their peaceful cities, committing numerous barbaric war crimes. Russian actions dictate what the media reports about it. Its action in invading a country next door and causing tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of needless deaths and even more injuries is not going to be well received by media, or reported as a positive, when it is clearly a huge negative.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Sh1mon M4sadaToday  

It's an immensely difficult position to be in for any neighbour of Russia.

If you want to put US bases - yes - indeed

But, the decision has shifted in favour of who dares win, ie Russia. I would be having sleepless nights if I was a Finn, and my country voted to be a NATO member

You are right. It is very dangerous decision for Helsinki and for a whole Europe.

The result is unpredictable

-13 ( +2 / -15 )

englisc “First Blowback : Chech rep, Hungary and Poland”

not surprising given how much they suffered at russian hands.

Excellent explanation, but still nothing common with "blowback".

zichiT

This decision is the outcome of Putin's invasion and war. 

It was discussed long time before.

And Sweden want to be NATO-member from 70th.

Ukraine : we weren’t in NATO & we became a target

It was enough to sign one paper only - Ukraine is neutral and stay neutral.

And no problem at all. Mr Zelenskiy refused.

-15 ( +1 / -16 )

@englisc aspyrgend

Fizzbit, your conspiracy theories are very entertaining, but in the real world you are way off the mark

You folks have no imagination. If it doesn’t come out of CNN, then it must be a conspiracy theory. And this is just ONE example country.

NATO helps to strengthen Mongolia’s cyber defence capacity

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_180697.htm

Mongolia has also become a steadfast contributor to US and NATO military operations. From 2003 onwards, Mongolia dispatched 1200 military personnel to serve in Iraq and over 4500 personnel to Afghanistan. Over 250 Mongolian military personnel are serving alongside the US and German militaries in Afghanistan.

https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/03/18/mongolias-military-diplomacy-and-geopolitical-balance/

Just send in Victoria Nuland and WALAA, a nice fresh money making war.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

It was enough to sign one paper only - Ukraine is neutral and stay neutral.

did you not read the part where Putin cannot be trusted ?

Russia signed an agreement where it would not attack Ukraine if they handed over their nukes.

Russia said not once, not twice but thrice that they had no intention of invading Ukraine

Putin cannot be trusted !

7 ( +10 / -3 )

@englisc aspyrgend

Its very very safe to say that if there was no NATO, there would be no Russian invasion.

Noam Chomsky: on the Pandemic, Ukraine crisis & Climate Change

Feb 10

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QC9MJssZWt4&feature=youtu.be

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

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