I'm not so sure about that. If the Putinist regime would collapse like the Soviet Union, that would be great. We don't give enough credit how well the last leaders of the Soviet Union did handle the collapse of Union. Then it didn't go the way of Yugoslavia. But with people like Putin, you do have similar types as Milosevic. As one Serb intellectual put it, Milosevic was one of the worst things to happen to Serbia and the Serbians. There are many who believe in Putin in Russia. Those who oppose him flee to countries like Georgia.As I've been saying, a Russian revolution would be better for the world and for Russia itself. — Christoffer
Those that uphold ideas like "rightful ownership" are usually the one's who start wars.Your argument for "rightful owners" of a piece of geographical land is just plain stupid. — Christoffer
We don't give enough credit how well the last leaders of the Soviet Union did handle the collapse of Union. — ssu
Yes.Because they were mostly educated people. Indoctrinated, but educated and intelligent as to how to handle that collapse and they did it in a group, not through a bloated self-absorbed despot. — Christoffer
What I have referred to nonsense is you saying I have said that Russia will invade Finland. — ssu
A hybrid response is far more probable. And a political response is very probable. — ssu
As usual, we do quote or make references to sources. — ssu
Why?Oh oh... Stocking up firewood yet? — Olivier5
Russia: We will take retaliatory steps.
Finland: We are safer now! — Streetlight
A hybrid response is far more probable. And a political response is very probable.
— ssu
...is a classic example of the falsehood of...
As usual, we do quote or make references to sources.
— ssu — Isaac
link hereRussia’s resources are currently focused heavily on Ukraine and on its own domestic operations. The situation may nevertheless change very quickly.
“Supo considers it likely that Russia will expand its cyber and information operations from Ukraine to the West. An increase in operations targeting Finland is therefore also considered probable in the coming months,” Pelttari notes.
Most online cyberattacks take the form of denial of service attacks and defacing of websites. Their perpetrators seek to give the impression of paralysing society, when in reality they do not compromise information or critical processes. While denial of service attacks and measures to combat them are commonplace for online businesses, the threat of more serious cyberattacks has nevertheless also increased. Businesses must continually ensure that the control circuitry of critical infrastructure such as energy distribution systems cannot be accessed directly from the public network.
Tweeting on Wednesday (16 March), the Russian embassy in Helsinki encouraged Russian citizens in Finland to report by email if they have experienced hate speech, discrimination or human rights abuses. Close to 30,000 Russian citizens live in Finland, and more than 80,000 people speak Russian in the country.
Few countries can match Finland’s long experience of dealing with Soviet and Russian hybrid warfare—before, during, and after the Cold War—and few countries have had as much success in standing up to it. The secret of Finland’s success can be found in the resilience of Finnish society, which is derived from its unique history and record of combining firmness with flexibility in dealing with its much larger, difficult, and unpredictable neighbor.
* * *
Another example is more recent. In the fall of 2015, third-country nationals without proper documents started to cross over the border from Russia to Norway. Since pedestrians are not allowed across the border, these people used bicycles. The Russian daily newspaper Kommersant coined the expression velobegstvo (flight by bike). Over 5,000 people crossed into Norway from Murmansk.
Soon after, the same pattern was repeated in northern Finland. Over 1,000 people without proper documents were allowed by Russian border authorities to cross into Finland. Most of these people were Afghans and others who had lived in Russia for years. They were now advised to leave the country and, with the help of criminal schleppers who helped them migrate, systematically directed toward the Norwegian and Finnish border crossings.
Again, the Finnish and Norwegian authorities were stunned. This was a breach of the border regime and, even worse, a breach of the confidence that had been painstakingly built up over decades. In hindsight, the argument that hurt Moscow was the question put to the FSB border guards: How does the FSB allow criminal elements, the schleppers, to operate on the Russian border? These poor souls with small children in arctic conditions were flown to Murmansk and Kandalaksha from Moscow, and then herded into hotels. Provided with rickety second-hand Soviet-era cars—for a hefty price, of course—they were directed during a polar night through uninhabited forests and past multiple Russian border posts toward the lights of the Finnish border crossing. At no point was Finland defenseless. It could have closed the border but did not do so.
What had happened? One interpretation is that the Russians just could not resist exploiting the refugee crisis in Europe that had unsettled all countries on the trail from Turkey into Scandinavia. It was a textbook hybrid operation to create mischief, but also to send a clear message that Moscow can cause trouble.
You said "Putin's threat". Lavrov is not Putin. And you're not saying which of "Lavrov's comments" you're referring to.
That would be to conduct foreign policy by the whim of one’s adversary. — Punshhh
when your military is fighting a war in another place, then you obviously have to use different methods. Or is that too daring of a conclusion to make? — ssu
As I said that (nonsense) referred to this:What's in question (and remains uncited) is the notion that the alternative is 'nonsense'. — Isaac
SSU said that joining Nato would lead to Russia attacking Finland? Really, ssu? — Christoffer
It's here — Isaac
Russia has constantly threatened Finland and Sweden with "serious military and political repercussions" if they join NATO. For years now, actually. — ssu
No, it would be to conduct foreign policy taking into account the whim of one's adversary... you know, like strategists actually do in the real world,
Putin pretty much nailed that.One could say that this is Putin’s strategy, to galvanise, expand and strengthen NATO. — Punshhh
Maybe he just thought taking over Ukraine would be worth it. — ssu
Putin appears to be and wants to depict himself as taking advice on this from Lavrov. — Punshhh
Getting one country to change it's course in security policy after 200 years of a successful policy that made it to avoid WW1 and WW2, and another one basically the time it has been independent, one surely has had to make some radical decisions. And Putin has made them. — ssu
Not sure what you are trying to say here. — Olivier5
Why didn't Finland join earlier? They just didn't think there was any need? — frank
That your proposed solution isn't a solution — Benkei
How do you provide security to Ukraine in a way that's also acceptable to Russia — Benkei
Why didn't Finland join earlier? They just didn't think there was any need? — frank
Because the policy of determined neutrality worked for them. Both policies carry risk. If you're attacked, you're alone when you're neutral. On the other hand, you won't be dragged into wars for expediency and are aren't a target by association. — Benkei
People in Finland are widely of the opinion that Russia is entirely or mostly responsible for the war in Ukraine, reveals a 17-country survey conducted by YouGov and the European University Institute.
As many as 85 per cent of respondents in the country estimated that responsibility for the situation is attributable entirely to Russia or more to Russia than Nato.
Only five per cent contrastively viewed that the responsibility should be attributed entirely or mostly to Nato and four per cent that the responsibility should be distributed equally between Russia and Nato.
Russia was regarded as the party mostly to blame by at least 70 per cent of respondents also in Sweden (80%), the UK (79%), Denmark (79%), Poland (73%) and the Netherlands (70%). Most Bulgarians and Greeks, by contrast, did not agree with the view that all or most of the blame should be put on Russia.
In Bulgaria, only 23 per cent of respondents viewed that Russia is entirely or mostly responsible for the situation, whereas 44 per cent viewed that most of the responsibility should be attributed to Nato and 13 per cent that the responsibility should be distributed equally between Russia and Nato. In Greece, 28 per cent of respondents stated that most of the responsibility lies with Nato and 29 per cent that the responsibility should be distributed equally between Russia and Nato.
Russia was nonetheless regarded as the sole or primary responsible party by at least 50 per cent of respondents in 13 of the 17 countries surveyed.
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