Some Russian military vehicles were filmed in Vyborg, Russia, on their way to the Finnish border. The video, verified by Sky News and picked up by various international media outlets, shows the movement of Moscow’s military equipment, including coastal defense systems, along the RussiaFinland border. The move was read as an apparent warning in Helsinki, which has been waging an internal debate over possible NATO membership for the past few weeks. Prime Minister Sanna Marin has opened up the possibility of joining the Atlantic Alliance “in the coming weeks”, a change of perspective following Vladimir Putin’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine. In the days immediately following the invasion, the Kremlin had announced “serious military and political” implications should NATO expand between Finland and Sweden. “Russia is our neighbor,” Marin said today. “We have a long common border with them and we have seen how they behave in Ukraine. There are obviously different risks that we need to be prepared for ».
The meeting in Stockholm
A meeting is scheduled between Marin and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Stockholm, Sweden today, April 13, to also discuss the issue. Finland will present its new security policy report and also wants to persuade Stockholm to apply to join NATO. In Sweden, too, the debate has increased after Moscow’s recent advances: last week the Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto He had informed the press that the government was preparing the application for membership. Stockholm’s intentions seem increasingly crucial, and the Swedish executive says final membership will be unveiled in June. NATO has already spoken out in favor of Norway and Sweden joining the alliance.
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