Russia allegedly under threat as Finland prepares for assault, claims Medvedev

Finland and Sweden, long-standing neutral nations, joined NATO in the spring of 2023 and 2024 respectively, marking a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of Europe.

The accession of Finland and Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has prompted potential changes in Russia's military strategies. Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, initially responded with a dismissive remark, saying, "Let them, if they want to." However, his sentiments seemed to soften as he later stated that their entry into the alliance was not considered a serious threat by Moscow.

Despite this, Russia has taken steps to reinforce its border with Finland. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Secretary of Russia's Security Council, announced the reinforcement of the border, and threatened that another aggression against Russia would lead to the permanent destruction of Finnish statehood. Additionally, Medvedev plans to build fortifications in border areas with Finland.

In response to Finland's membership, NATO has established a regional land forces command headquarters in the city of Mikkeli, Finland. This command, known as the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Finland (NATO eFP Battle Group Finland), is potentially expandable to a full brigade of 5,000 troops. Furthermore, a new garrison has been established in the town of Ivalo, Finland, located just 40 km from the Russian territory.

NATO's involvement in Finland's operational environments (land, sea, air, space, cyberspace) has been acknowledged by Medvedev. He also expressed concern over the creation of a NATO advanced headquarters for land forces near Russia's border, which could potentially increase NATO's border with Russia by over 1300 kilometers.

The decisions by Finland and Sweden to join NATO were not made lightly. Finland abandoned decades of military neutrality following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The actions of Alexander Stubb, the Finnish President, have been criticised by Medvedev, who accused him of pushing Finland towards a military conflict.

The joining of Finland and Sweden into NATO has effectively doubled Russia's border with the alliance, raising tensions and prompting a response from Russia. However, the long-term implications of these developments remain to be seen.