Russia's 'sabre-rattling' over Finland's NATO membership exposed after nuclear threat sent
EXCLUSIVE: Finland's NATO membership has sparked outrage from Russia but despite the rhetoric, Vladimir Putin is unlikely to be able to reverse the setback, according to a leading Helsinki-based analyst.
Russia's Ministry of Defence has threatened Finland with military "countermeasures" following the Nordic state's accession to NATO this week, amid Putin's widely advertised plot to move nuclear weapons to Belarus. However, experts have pointed out that the Kremlin has a long history of making nuclear threats, and this latest show of bluster is unlikely to have a significant impact on the region's strategic balance.
Researcher Eoin McNamara, from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told Express.co.uk that the mood in Finland remains calm despite the bellicose threats coming from Putin's Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu.
Mr McNamara told Express.co.uk: "Russia’s Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu referred to Finland’s NATO accession as 'dangerous' and a 'historical mistake'.
"He discussed the movement of some Russian nuclear weapons into Belarus. However, it is not uncommon for Russia to hint at nuclear threats, Moscow has been engaging in this against Baltic, Nordic, EU and NATO states since its illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
"This is unlikely to alter the strategic balance in the region that much and such threats are normally perceived as 'sabre-rattling'."
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He added: "The mood in Finland is 'keep calm and carry on', to quote the famous British phrase."
Finland's recent accession to NATO has dealt a significant blow to Putin, reshaping Europe's security landscape after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
This move, which doubles Russia's border with NATO, marks a strategic and political setback for Putin, who has long complained about NATO's expansion towards Russia and used it as justification for the invasion.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that Putin's aggression has spurred countries to take measures to protect their defence and deter potential Russian aggression.
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Russia's Foreign Ministry responded with threats of military retaliation, stating Moscow "will be forced to take military-technical and other retaliatory measures to counter the threats to our national security arising from Finland’s accession to NATO."
It said Finland's move marks "a fundamental change in the situation in Northern Europe, which had previously been one of the most stable regions in the world."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized NATO's anti-Russian stance but also downplayed the impact, citing no territorial disputes between Russia and Finland.
It remains unclear what additional military resources Russia could deploy to the Finnish border, as most of its capable units are already deployed to Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized NATO's security guarantee for Finland, but did not rule out the possibility of more military exercises in the region, stating that NATO would not let Russia dictate its decisions.
He said: "We are constantly assessing our posture, our presence. We have more exercises, we have more presence, also in the Nordic area.
Finland abandoned years of military nonalignment to pursue security under NATO's umbrella.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said: "It’s a great day for Finland and an important day for NATO, too, Russia tried to create a sphere around them and, well, we are not a sphere. I’m sure that Finns themselves feel more secure, that we are living in a more stable world."