Moscow warns Finland that it will suffer losses if tensions between Russia and NATO escalate.
(Baonghean.vn) - Senior Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov argues that Finland's geographical location would put it at the forefront in the event of escalating tensions between Russia and NATO, and that Helsinki has undermined its own security by joining the US-led military bloc.
This Nordic nation applied to join NATO after the conflict in Ukraine erupted last year, stating it needed mutual defense to prevent a potential attack from Russia. The move shattered Finland's more than 70-year legacy of neutrality, which had been maintained throughout the Cold War.
Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to state-owned organizations in Vienna, told RIA Novosti that he does not see Finland benefiting from NATO membership.
"They lived peacefully and then suddenly found themselves caught between Russia and NATO as members of the alliance, but because they are our neighbors, if the situation escalates, they will be the first to suffer," Ulyanov expressed his concern, emphasizing that Russia never wanted such an outcome.
Finland joined NATO in April and went a step further this month by signing a bilateral security agreement with the United States. This agreement allows the US military access to military bases on Finnish territory.
Ulyanov called this a “serious challenge” to Russia. He noted that Moscow’s response to the growing threat on its western border included restoring the Moscow and Leningrad military districts, which had been abolished in 2010, during a period of relatively low tensions with the West.
The Russian diplomat referred to the current dire state of Russia-US relations, which he blamed on Washington. He reasoned: “I believe it is becoming increasingly clear that the current US policy, based on the one hand on neglecting diplomacy and, on the other hand, on the large-scale supply of weapons (to Ukraine), is ineffective.”
Ulyanov added that, so far, the US has been the "main beneficiary" of the Ukraine conflict, while EU countries, such as Germany, have suffered greatly from it. He argued that Brussels' policy is dictated by Washington and that the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.
