Putin's bluff: Russia's empty threats against Finland's NATO bid

Vladimir Putin recently issued a warning to Finland, stating his intention to deploy troops and "destruction systems" along the border. However, Politico suggests that Helsinki has little cause for concern. "The Russians lack the necessary specialized training and equipment," assesses Pekka Toveri, a parliamentarian and former head of Finnish military intelligence.

In a recent interview with the pro-Kremlin outlets Rossija1 and RIA Novosti, Vladimir Putin openly criticized Finland and Sweden’s decision to join NATO. He described their accession as a senseless step on their part. He claimed that, although previously, the relations between Russia and the Nordic countries were stable and good - with Finland being "ideal" - this dynamic will change. Putin announced his decision to station troops and "destruction systems" along the Finnish-Russian border.

Politico's latest editorial juxtaposes Putin's threats with the Kremlin’s actual military capabilities. It argues that mere threats of retaliation for Helsinki joining NATO fall short of intimidation, as Russia lacks the manpower required to present any real threat to its neighbor or to monitor the 807-mile border effectively.

Pekka Toveri, a parliamentarian and former head of Finnish military intelligence, posits that Russia will not possess the capability to deploy a significant number of soldiers to the Finnish border as they have threatened, at least before 2030. He points to financial constraints and a lack of resources for infrastructure development and the production of new, heavy weaponry.

“Finland constitutes a highly challenging operational environment, a fact the Soviets learned during World War II when they referred to it as 'operations in swampy forest terrain.' This type of environment demands specialized training and equipment, which the Russians lack. Much of the Finnish border is a complete wilderness, unsuitable for modern mechanized warfare," Toveri assessed.

Putin has since withdrawn the troops previously stationed near the Finnish-Russian border and redirected them to Ukraine. Officially, this move was declared a signal of "friendship" towards Finland. Politico suggests, however, that the real reason might be the challenging conditions in the area, which proved too difficult for the Russian forces to manage.

Source: Politico, WP News