With fears mounting over Moscow’s military buildup, Finland is getting ready for possible escalations along its eastern border with Russia. This strategic shift comes in the wake of Finland’s rapid accession to NATO in 2023, a move prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For the time-being however, Finland is keeping their guard up. It tracks carefully Russian movements along their mutual border, which has been closed for more than a year.
Major General Sami Nurmi, head of strategy for the Finnish Defence Forces, stated that the military is monitoring developments in Russia “very closely” and is readying itself for any possible scenarios. He emphasized that while there is currently “no immediate military threat towards Finland or NATO from this direction,” the situation remains fluid.
In recent weeks, Helsinki has accused Moscow of directing asylum seekers to Finland. This frightening tactic should be cause for greater alarm, particularly in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With the war continuing to escalate, the Finnish authorities are keeping their eyes peeled. They want Russia to continue to increase its military build-up along the mutually held border.
“They are changing structures and we are seeing moderate preparations when it comes to building infrastructure close to our borders,” Nurmi explained. He noted the current war in Ukraine and how it would all one day come to peace. When it does, Russia should begin redeploying its combat forces, first and foremost the ground forces. You’ve got to judge the latter on whether they are simply getting ready to send more troops to Ukraine or getting ready to deploy them to reinforce their force deployments near our border. I suppose they are accomplishing both at the same time,” he continued.
In anticipation of such scenarios, Finland has started building a fence on its eastern border. The Finnish Border Guard announced that it has completed the first 35 kilometers (22 miles) of a planned 200-kilometer barrier. This initiative is one piece of a larger effort to improve our national security and preparedness against future threats.
Not surprisingly, Finnish citizens are more aware of these impending perils and have prepared themselves by fortifying against emergency catastrophes. Interest in training courses provided by the Finnish Women’s National Emergency Preparedness Association, known as Nasta, has surged since 2022. Nasta’s spring course had more than 800 women lined up and ready to fill spots. Incredible courses most dazzlingly maxed out in three to four minutes flat!
Suvi Aksela, a participant in one of the training programs, recently reflected on the state of affairs. As she explained, Finland has become used to the daily threats from Russia. “We are used to hearing stuff from Russia, like all these threats,” she stated, acknowledging that residents anticipated an increase in Russian military presence following NATO membership. “And so it’s not all that scary for us,” she explained.
As Finland deals with these difficult geopolitical strains their citizens have proven that they are serious about increasing their state of preparedness and resilience. High levels of civic engagement with emergencies in their community support high military readiness. This unusual duo illustrates the nation’s resolve to meet any threat from its Eurasian neighbor.