Europe: Preparing for War

"Russia emptied four brigades out of the Leningrad district to Ukraine, most of them actually killed."

"The reality is that when this war ends, Russia will start building up its soldiers on our border. But this is nothing new, it's not problematic."

"I'd ask people to stay cool, calm and collected. We know exactly what we're doing. We have full control over what's going on."

Finnish President Alexander Stubb

 

"The long term is just that Russia needs to take defence on the border with Finland more seriously now that Finland is a NATO member."

"If NATO and Russia go to war in the Baltics, the Finns aren't going to just sit there. They're likely going to counterattack and annex the Murmansk Peninsula – and the Russian nuclear forces and the Northern Fleet are all based in Murmansk."

"So the Finns can do quite a lot in terms of disrupting that by cutting the supply lines between St Petersburg and Murmansk."

Ed Arnold, senior research fellow for European security, International Security department, Royal United Services Institute defence think tank, United Kingdom

Before and after images from the Russian bases. Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Airbus /screenshot from SVT

 

Earlier this month Finland's public broadcaster, YLE reported the presence of a garrison being built for an artillery brigade by Russia, in a town close by the two countries' frontier. Half of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) land border is guarded by Finland against NATO's well-known adversary. A border that stretches out along over 1,300 kilometres.

 

There is a long history of conflict between Finland and Russia. As such, it is not surprising that Finland has been among the most dedicated European supporters and providers of military aide to Ukraine. In the face of Moscow's future intentions against Finland, its president states that his country remains "calm and collected", knowing through long experience what may be presenting for the not-too-distant future.

 

According to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, such preparations are of no surprise to NATO as well. The Kremlin, suggested Mr. Rutte, may be counting on a five-year opportunity when Russia's war imposed on Ukraine has been concluded, to turn its attention elsewhere, and Finland appears the most likely initial target.

 

Nordic officials have their own version of a potential timeline before such an attack takes place, giving it a shorter window, hastening preparations in the knowledge that Russia will focus on rebuilding its capacity to carry out a conventional attack on yet another of its neighbours. 

"Before 2022 there was an unmanned aerial vehicle regiment somewhat operating in the field – so it wasn’t totally abandoned. But it wasn’t being used for larger equipment such as helicopters."

"But now, after 2022, they have been refurbishing it, renovating it, clearing the overgrown areas – so it seems that they are intending to also ramp up their activities in that area too."

"We are seeing military activity, and we are seeing the Russians developing their military infrastructure and most likely training new soldiers. But it's not anything too radical at the moment."

"It's really difficult to say yet, because the war in Ukraine is still heavily ongoing, and achieving a truce seems to be extremely difficult. The future will show just how heavily the Russians will invest in all of this – military bases, new units, soldiers and so on. But as far as we know now, it's going to be significant."

Finnish military historian Emil Kastehelmi 

Finland’s border guard has completed the first 35km of a planned 200km fence on its eastern border with Russia. Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters

 

Last week Finland's parliament approved a withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, banning anti-personnel landmines. The vote was 157 to 18 in Helsinki, when lawmakers firmly committed to back the government's proposal. The release from the convention was a political decision taken in April while addressing risks from Russia.

 

NATO leaders had agreed on a massive increase in defence spending for its member-states, each to pledge honouring a five percent gross domestic product to boost the 32-member-organizational military capacity in mutual defence against a common enemy. At the same time the group reiterated its "Ironclad commitment" to respond as a unified military group in defense of any of its members coming under attack. 

 

Some 175 kilometeres from the border, three large storage halls have been built in Petrozavodsk, each of which is judged to have the potential to  hold around fifty armed vehicles. As of April 2025, a fourth facility has been under construction. The new structures, according to analysts, may be intended to conceal an accurate number of the military vehicles to be stationed there.  

"[The developments appear to confirm earlier Russian statements about] military-technical measures [in response to NATO’s enlargement]."

"When we applied [Finland and Sweden] for NATO membership, Russia said it would take such steps. We are now seeing that happen."

Sweden’s Chief of Defence Michael Claesson 

 

"[The Russian government in April 2023 when Sweden and Finland jointed NATO, vowed to take] counter-measures."

"The enlargement of NATO is an encroachment on our security and on Russia’s national interests."

"We’re going to be following what happens in Finland closely … and how it threatens us."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov

"[The Finns’] whole position was … we need to be ready to be able to face the Russians on our own."

"So that's their mindset, and it's how their military is configured. They can get 284,000 troops on declaration of war. That's significant."

"That’s probably more than the UK can get together, probably more than Germany, more than France – probably more than anyone else bar Poland at the moment."

Ed Arnold, senior research fellow for European security

 

Swedish Freedom of Expression

Indian Muslims protesting in Sweden    Associated Press

"In Sweden, we have the freedom of expression."

"We also respect people who have a different opinion and the fact that it may hurt some feelings."

"We have to look at the law. That is what we do."

Helsingborg Sweden local police Chief, Mattias Sigfriedsson 

"[The Swedish government] strongly rejects the Islamophobic act committed by individuals in Sweden."

"[The burning of a Koran] in no way reflects the opinions of the Swedish Government."

Swedish Government statement

"I think it is exceptional and extremely inappropriate for the government ... to criticize an individual demonstration carried out by a person who, by all accounts, has stayed within the bounds of the law, who has only used his constitutional freedom of expression."

Nils Funcke, Swedish freedom of speech advocate

"It is a very serious situation for Sweden."

"We have foreign powers, like Russia for example, which spread information in Arabic about this."

"We have Turkey, which is using it for leverage in the NATO debate."

Magnus Ranstorp, terrorism expert, strategic adviser, Center for Societal Security, Swedish Defense University

 

"In general, the Swedish Security Service sees how authoritarian states like Russia use proxies in order to destabilize or influence Swedish public opinion and decision-making."

Swedish Security Service

Salwan Momika protesting outside a Stockholm mosque on 28 June to ‘express [his] opinion about the Qur’an’. Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images

Sweden is in a diplomatic and political uproar in the wake of a string of requests for approval of protests involving the destruction of sacred religious texts after an Iraqi Christian immigrant burned a Koran outside a Stockholm mosque during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The man had decided to destroy a copy of Islam's scriptures in a display of his feelings about the Qur'an. Sweden is nominally protestant, but it is a secular society which believes in freedom of expression.

The event has dragged Sweden into a greater issue complicating its application to join NATO, a decision it took following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in the credible belief that it might be next. Any country wishing to join the military alliance can do so only with the unanimous consent of NATO's member nations. And thus far, both Hungary for reasons of its own have refused Sweden's request, and Turkey for stated reasons of charging Sweden with sheltering Kurds which Turkey refers to as terrorists, Turkey's sworn enemies.

 

Condemnation in response to the copy of a Koran being destroyed, were immediate and widespread in the Muslim world. A debate is now swirling in Sweden regarding limits of Freedom of Speech, with Swedish police having received new requests by individuals who would like to burn the Qur'an, as well as the Jewish Torah and the Christian bible. Bans are being urged on Sweden by Muslim countries, with Pakistan calling for a daylong protest in defence of the sanctity of the Koran.

The irony here is that in Pakistan there is a standing death sentence in law against any form of blasphemy against Islam, its Prophet or Allah. Christians have been stoned and clubbed to death by hordes of raging Muslims in Pakistan as punishment for insulting Islam. Many Swedes insist that even offensive criticism of religion should be permissible in the Scandinavian Lutheran nation, and any notion of re-introducing blasphemy laws should be resisted.

When police in Stockholm earlier in the year attempted to stop Qur'an-burning protests they were overruled by a court stating such actions were protected by Swedish law. It was that decision which directed police to allow last week's protest where a Christian from Iraq burned the Qur'an on an important Muslim holiday leading Muslim leaders in Sweden to deplore the incident.

In Baghdad, the Swedish Embassy was stormed by angry protesters, while the Organization for Islamic Cooperation condemned and criticized Swedish authorities for allowing the Koran to be burned. Pakistan has asked the U.N. Human Rights Council to schedule a special session on the issue. The current controversy is reminiscent of the fury faced by Denmark in 2006 after publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that led to Danish consulates and embassies being torched, with cartoonists facing death threats.

Now, suddenly Sweden has taken placatory steps toward Turkey in its decision to charge a Kurdish man, Yahya Gungnor, with terrorist financing of the Kurdish PKK. The PKK is Turkey's avowed enemy and Turkey returns the feelings with emphatic fury. The Kurdish man was sentenced by the Stockholm District Court to four-and-a-half years in prison for the crime of financially supporting the PKK. After his prison term he is to be expelled and banned from returning to Sweden. 

Turkey will be pleased.

Demonstration front of the Swedish Embassy, Tehran, Iran    Associated Press

Russia, Respecting The Rule of Law/Arctic Council Chairmanship 2021-2023

"A cross-cutting priority of the Russian Chairmanship in the Arctic Council will be "Responsible Governance for Sustainable Arctic" through promoting collective approaches to the sustainable development of the Arctic, environmentally, socially and economically balanced, enhancing synergy and cooperation and coordination with other regional structures, as well as implementation of the Council's Strategic Plan, while respecting the rule of law."

"The Russian Chairmanship will continue supporting the establishment of the Arctic Council as the leading format for international Arctic cooperation, improving its work, increasing the effectiveness of its Working and Expert groups, the Secretariat, as well as developing mechanisms for financing the Council's activities, including its projects and programs, implementing decisions and recommendations, as well as encouraging the dialogue and interaction with the Observers to provide their meaningful and balanced engagement in the Council’s activities. It intends to further intensify collaboration of the Arctic Council with the Arctic Economic Council, the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, the University of the Arctic. Among the priorities of the Russian Chairmanship – promoting international scientific cooperation, in particular, exploring the possibility to conduct an Arctic Council scientific expedition to the Arctic Ocean."

His Excellency Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich   Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Sea ice in the Arctic  Roscongress

"The hopes for cooperation with Russia in the Arctic continue to cool. Days after a U.S. diplomat stated that cooperation with Russia in the Arctic was now virtually impossible, the Kremlin published amendments to its Arctic policy. President Putin signed the decree earlier this week on 21 February 2023. "

"The updated document places greater emphasis on Russian national interests in the region and removes specific mentions for cooperation within the Arctic Council."

"While the original policy, published in March 2020, called for the “strengthening of good neighborly relations with the Arctic states” in the fields of economic, scientific, cultural and cross-border cooperation the amended version removes the above section and instead calls for the “development of relations with foreign states on a bilateral basis, […] taking into account the national interests of the Russian Federation in the Arctic”."

High North News

President Putin discusses expansion of Russia’s territorial claims with the permanent members of the Security Council. (Source: Kremlin)

 

The eight Arctic states that comprise the Arctic Council are Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Canada and the United States. All these states in collaboration and agreement have produced binding agreements focused on preservation and environmental protection. The council represents a rare platform that gives a voice to the region's Indigenous peoples. Security interests are not part of the Council's agenda,

 

The Arctic Council for close on three decades has been an example of successful post-Cold War cooperation. Its members have seen common purpose in cooperating on climate-change research and social development in recognition that this is an ecologically sensitive region of the world and currently undergoing vast environmental transformation linked to Climate Change. 

 

All that has changed. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine other council members were estranged from Russia as a rebuke of its imposition of war on its neighbour, and stopped working with their Russian counterpart. Norway now prepares to assume the Council chairmanship from Moscow, on May 11. Leaving experts to ask whether the viability of the polar body itself is at risk reflecting its inability to cooperate with the very country that controls over half of the Arctic coastline.

 

There could be dire future implications for the region's environment and its four million inhabitants who face the effects of melting sea ice and the interest of non-Arctic countries in the region's untapped mineral resources in the face of an ineffective Arctic Council. With the end of cooperation with Moscow a third of the council's 130 projects cannot move forward, new projects cannot proceed, existing projects cannot be renewed.

 

Arctic Council Meeting

No longer do Western and Russian scientists share climate-change findings. Cooperation for possible search-and-rescue missions or oil spills has come to an end. "I am worried that this will really hobble the ability of the Arctic Council to work through these various issues", stated US. Senator Angus King. Polar waters are opening to shipping as sea ice vanishes. The Arctic is known to be warming four times faster than the rest of the world.

 

Industries are eager to exploit the region's endowment of natural resources that include oil, gas and metals like gold, iron and rare earths. An effective response to changes and the vital issues that loom are less likely given discord between Russia and the other members of the Arctic Council. "Norway has a big challenge. That's how to rescue as much as possible of the Arctic Council's good work in the absence of Russia", pointed out John Holdren, co-director of the Harvard Kennedy School's Arctic initiative.

 

For its part, Russia points out that the work cannot continue without its cooperation. Nikolay Korchunov, Russian Arctic Ambassador,  said he was not confident it "will be able to remain the main platform on Arctic issues, given that the council has become weak". There is the possibility that Russia may decide that issues affecting the region must be addressed with Russian interests only in mind. Or that it may establish a separate Russia-centric rival council.

 

China warmly welcomes Putin’s state visit in 2018. After the conversation between Xi Jinping and Putin, China and Russia reached a consensus on deepening bilateral cooperation and signed a series of cooperation agreements. Photo: Presidential Press and Information Office

Russia has recently taken steps to expand cooperation in the Arctic with non-Arctic states; signing a memorandum for example with China, establishing cooperation between the two countries' coast guards in the Arctic. China's interests in the Arctic revolve around shipping and investing in ore extraction, particularly rare earth minerals. Russian Arctic Ambassador Korchunov pointed out Moscow's welcome of non-Arctic states in the region. With the proviso they not arrive with a military agenda.

 

And this is yet another area where Russia has distinguished itself, long before its invasion of Ukraine occurred. It has rebuilt or refurbished old Soviet military bases on its Arctic shorelines and islands that form part of Russian territory. It is Russia under Vladimir Putin that has militarized the Arctic, a condition it wants no other country to emulate.

 

Erdogan's Nasty Little War With Kurds

"President Erdogan's style of meeting international challenges is upping the ante -- and it almost always works in causing NATO allies to blink."

"It worked in the eastern Mediterranean and in Syria in the past -- why not try again."

Asli Aydintsbas, senior policy fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations, Istanbul

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has revived an old, outdated, near-defunct concept: a Western habit of overrating Turkey's "geo-political importance." Totally blind to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's anti-Western policy calculus, the Biden administration is pushing Turkey's Islamist strongman into further stealth hostility toward the civilized parts of the world."

Burak Bekdil, Gatestone Institute

"In case of any attack, of course we will resist and fight back."

"The international community now faces an important test: will it effectively rein in Turkey?"

Ciwan Mulia Ibrahim, spokesperson SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces)

The West's appeasement will, unfortunately, only embolden Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and push him further into the Russian orbit, both politically as a covert ally and militarily as a client of critical weapons systems. Pictured: Erdoğan holds a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 22, 2019 in Sochi, Russia. (Image source: kremlin.ru)

Little surprise that Finland and Sweden have decided it is imperative that they no longer wait to see how things turn out for Ukraine with Russia's invasion. Both have committed to applying for NATO membership and partners in NATO are prepared to welcome them to the alliance with the understanding that in the special circumstances that exist, their applications should be fast-tracked. In view of Vladimir Putin's threats, his aggression and his past appropriation of other nations' sovereign territories the fear that Sweden and Finland have made clear is their own vulnerability to Moscow's decision-making.

Not so fast, however. Turkey has an agenda of its own under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, arguably the most enigmatic and volatile of NATO's 30 members, whose playbook has diverged widely of late from that of NATO. He has stated baldly that it is his intention not to approve the two applications. He has an ax to grind with Sweden over its support for Kurds and he has a plan that risks alienating the most powerful country in NATO and he wants it understand that he is prepared to engineer an exchange.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images

 

In that he will give the green light to the NATO applications to welcome Finland and Sweden as long as NATO agrees not to interfere in Erdogan's plan to build a buffer that would remove any Kurdish presence in Syria from alongside Turkey's border with Syria. The dilemma is that no application submitted by any nation to join NATO can be accepted without unanimous assent of all NATO members. Of course, should all 30 NATO members, less Turkey, agree to turf Turkey from NATO, the problems of Turkey's intransigence would be solved...

And Turkey's president's plan is the launching of military operations across its border into Syria yet again, but on a firmer, larger scale that would cleanse border villages and farms of their Kurdish inhabitants and rout the presence of Kurdish militias from border proximity. Sweden and Finland have been accused by Turkey of nurturing links to the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) whose ongoing war with Turkey in the interest of forcing the release of Kurdish ancestral land it occupies for a recognized sovereign Kurdistan, has led Erdogan's intent on destroying the PKK.

Since 2015 Turkey has seized hundreds of kilomtres of land, 30 km deep into Syria, its operations targeting the Syrian Kurdish YPG milita, backed by the United States, for its aid in combating the Islamic State Emirate. Turkish troops have increased military operations against PKK fighters in northern Iraq as well. According to Turkey, both groups are linked as terrorist entities; whereas only the PKK is considered a terrorist group by NATO, not the YPG. 

The People's Defence Units (YPG) represent the foundational element of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led coalition hugely depended upon by the United States. For its part the SDF accuses Turkey of efforts planned to "destabilize the region", by its military action threats in northern Syria. In a sinister statement that simply indicates that Turkey is an unsuitable partner within NATO ranks, Erdogan claims that his planned military operation would serve to reveal which countries 'respected'  Turkey's security concerns and which did not.

 

Kurdish protesters take part in a demonstration holding Kurdish flags in Stockholm, Sweden | Frederik Sandberg/AFP via Getty Image

Russia: No nuclear-free status for the Baltic

"Russia has earlier indicated that it is placing for example these S-400 anti-aircraft missiles in the Kola Peninsula, and it has earlier said it’s placing these missiles in Crimea."

"This is normal practice. Russia is using these systems to replace the older S-300 rockets."

"The reporting was a bit surprising. There was a tinge of foreign policy in the Moscow Times piece that cited President Putin’s comments on (potential Finnish membership of) NATO."

"The positioning of S-400 Triumf missiles near Saint Petersburg is evidence that Saint Petersburg is an important metropolis for Russia."

Finnish Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö

Russian Iskander-M missile launcher on display during Victory Day parade Photograph:( AFP

 A convoy is shown on a video  obtained by Reuters, comprised of over a dozen military vehicles, some thought to be carrying Iskander missiles en route to Vyborg, a Russian city adjacent the border with Finland.The deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev -- a close colleague of Vladimir Putin who once played musical chairs with Putin, occupying the presidency while the prime ministership was temporarily taken by Putin in a bid to return to the presidency legally under the Russian constitution which he later manipulated to make it legal for him to continue as President -- warned should Finland and Sweden join NATO, Russia would undertake to move nuclear weapons closer to the two countries whose move to join NATO the Kremlin viewed as threatening.

 

"There can be no more talk of our nuclear-free status for the Baltic", he remarked on April 14.

Traditionally neutral, Finland and Sweden decided to break with that Cold War convention, in favour of defending themselves against a neighbour whose moves of aggression could be anticipated on the basis of the example before the eyes of the world, where Ukraine is now in active conflict forced upon it by Moscow's 'special military operation'. Neither Finland nor Sweden have any aspirations to test their own military's mettle facing off against a potential Russian invasion without an additional bit of defence; the combined strength of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

This represents somewhat of a miscalculation on the part of Vladimir Putin, consumed with rage over NATO expansion within the Russian Federation's 'near abroad', taunting Moscow as it were, with its too-close-for-comfort presence. An already-suspicious Putin arrived to a state of paranoia, a state which possibly inured him to the kind of introspection that might have warned him that he would be risking a great deal by launching into a conflict with Ukraine whose reaction to being occupied on a larger scale than the Donbas was obviously underestimated.

Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via teleconference on May 17.   EPA

 

The scenario that Mr. Putin envisioned and was intent on forestalling, was in fact accelerated by his very actions in bringing war to Ukraine with its burden of civilian and military deaths, destroyed cities, millions of displaced homeless and refugees and Russia's own massive losses in dead commanders as well as servicemen, and the destruction of war machines resulting from Ukrainian defence and bold counter-attacks. The missiles were reportedly parked inside Russia's borders next to Ukraine before the February24 invasion before the decision was made to move them at this juncture.

Now that NATO acceptance of Finland and Sweden is assured, Mr. Putin finds it useful to move the nuclear-capable-warhead missiles to locations close to its borders with Finland. Finland appears to be calmly assessing the situation, finding nothing too much out of the ordinary by the move taken by its mercurial neighbour. And taking it all in stride as far as its reaction can be seen and analyzed by the outside world looking in. What is being discussed and analyzed within Finland in the security of government and military chambers may be another story.

S-400 Triump is an anti-aircraft weapon system. Photo: mil.ru

 

From NATO's perspective, the organization stands to gain by taking Finland and Sweden under its protective wing in the sense that they would become instant "net contributors" to European security. The two countries' absorption into the group would simplify defence of NATO's Baltic members, increasing the alliance's borders with Russia with the addition of 1,900 kilometers representing the border between Russia and Finland.

Turkey, which has long since become a liability politically within NATO, balanced against the immense size of its military, is the fly in the ointment with Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatening to weigh in against their accession. The Nordic countries, demands Ankara, must stop its support for Kurdish militant groups on their soil. Their bans on arms sales to Turkey must also be lifted. This, from a NATO member-country which contracted the purchase of Russian weapons for its military, disrupting the interoperability of NATO member groups' military hardware.

 

 

Russia's Near-Abroad

"What we see in Ukraine, and the way Russia is waging war -- means that this strategy [NATO's batlegroup 'tripwires' meant to forestall Russia's territorial ambitions] needs to be adjusted."

"We do have to reassess the risk posture and how much we need to stand together against potential Russian incursions and aggression."

"Where the Russian military goes, not only is civilian infrastructure destroyed, but civilians are shot, maimed, murdered, raped, tortured, deported, killed."

"That means we need to have a more robust position in the Baltics to prevent an attack from occurring in the first place."

Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins

"Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay."

"We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days."

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto/Prime Minister Sanna Marin

"Definitely [Finland's accession to NATO poses a direct threat to Russia]."

"Definitely NATO expansion does not make our continent more stable and secure."

This cannot fail to arouse our regret, and is a reason for corresponding symmetrical responses on our side."

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman 

A first responder works at the site of a missile strike, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine in this handout

 

That 'symmetrical responses' phrase was attention-grabbing. Analysts might point out that past situations spoke to potential counter-measures the Kremlin could consider in the event that its neighbours decided to move closer to the West and to join NATO, a prospect that makes the Russian Federation very nervous indeed. And one that reputedly spurred Vladimir Putin to scorn Ukraine as a puppet of the West controlled by fascists which obligated Russia to invade and bring war to Ukraine, a stunning course of punishment.

Responses on a wider basis -- setting aside the prospect of a Russian invasion of all its neighbours simultaneously rather than the feared and anticipated sequentially at a time when the Russian military finds itself bogged down in one country -- could conceivably consist alternately of Russia placing nuclear-armed missiles on the Baltic Seacoast. When asked whether Finland might, by joining NATO, provoke Russia, its President said: "My response would be that you caused this. Look at the mirror".

The expectation of other NATO allies is that Finland, along with Sweden which has also stated its intention to apply for NATO membership, would be quickly granted membership. That would result in an increased troop presence to defend the Nordic region during the period of ratification that would take approximately a year. The irony is that Ukraine which has long sought NATO membership and has been put off for fear of aggravating Russia, was targeted with a "special military operation" to prevent just such NATO expansion.

 

A Ukrainian serviceman patrols an area, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in an undisclosed location in Kharkiv Region   Reuters

 

As the two largest EU countries to  join NATO to the present, Finland's 1,300-km border with Russia would double the frontier between NATO and Russia. NATO guards would be placed with this new alliance, a mere few hours' drive from the northern outskirts of St.Petersburg. As the world's sole superpower European nations feeling the stress and strain of a silent, looming threat from Russia, seek the protection of the world's largest and best-armed military, that of the United States.

Even while Moscow regards these events as a direct threat to its own influence and security in the region, it was that pre-emptive move to demonstrate that it would not tolerate NATO's creeping presence in the Russian near-abroad that motivated the Ukrainian invasion; the extended reach of which has been to shock, unnerve and convince Russia's neighbours that they're in dire need of the backing of an international coalition to give Russia pause over extending its 'special military operations' elsewhere.

And all will have taken note that Ukraine, though not a NATO member-nation, has been amply supported  with the supply of advanced technological weaponry which, together with the Ukraine military's fighting spirit in countering the Russian presence with a strong defense, has now transformed that hugely successful defense into an admirable counter-offensive, pushing Russian troops back towrd their own border, and even threatening Russian towns with the same treatment Russia meted out to Ukrainian towns.

Ukrainian service members fire with a self-propelled howitzer 2S1 Gvozdika, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in unknown location in Kharkiv region, Ukraine May 7, 2022. REUTERS/Serhii Nuzhnenko