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The Finnish Foreign Minister speaks about the latest Russian threats against her country.
Six months after Finland joined NATO, tensions with Russia have increased. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen explains what she is doing about it.
SRF News: Russia recently announced that it would increase its troop presence beyond the Finnish border. How do you assess the situation?
Elina Valtonen: We are not afraid of a Russian attack. Finland has always relied on a strong national defense. We are now a NATO member. As such, we want to work with Sweden to ensure a safer situation in Europe.
We do not assume that there is a direct military threat to Finland from Russia.
Sweden actively warned the population about a possible war. What is it like in Finland?
Traditionally, there is no need to warn the Finnish population about war. We were attacked by the Soviet Union during World War II and were able to defend ourselves on our own, even though we are a small country. Since then, the threat has always been there. We took them seriously. We have tried to cooperate with Russia in various ways, as have our Western partners. We do not assume that there is a direct military threat to Finland from Russia. But you have to be prepared for it. And we are working with our allies to create a credible deterrent.
They signed a defense agreement with the US in December. Aren’t you afraid that Russia will feel provoked?
Finland and Sweden did not join NATO to pose any threat (Editor’s note: Sweden is not yet an official member of NATO). As small countries, we have never been able to provoke Russia. You have to understand that NATO will not grow larger through force. This only happens because people in free democratic countries decide to do so because they need more security. We would also like to make our contribution to European security.
In this war, Ukraine is fighting not only for its country, but for our values: democracy, the rule of law and the freedom of the individual.
What exactly is the benefit of NATO for Finland?
That we will never be alone again. The defense against the Soviet Union is always remembered. Nobody thought that the threat would disappear overnight. Russia knows many ways to make our lives difficult. In recent weeks, for example, Russia has allowed people from third countries to cross the border into Finland without identification documents. We had to close the eastern border for the foreseeable future. And we have been experiencing cyber attacks for years. Our accession to NATO not only helps to ensure our own security, but that of the entire Baltic Sea region and Europe. In this war, Ukraine is fighting not only for its country, but for our values: democracy, the rule of law and the freedom of the individual. Not the strongest is allowed to determine the future. We must return to a world in which our values apply.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive failed. Does Ukraine have no other option than to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia?
Such a decision rests with Ukraine. She is defending herself against a big opponent. This has been the case for two years. Who would have thought that Ukraine would last so long against Russia? But there have also been positive things in the last few months. Ukraine was able to secure part of the sea transport in the Black Sea. This is important and makes us optimistic.
The interview was conducted by Sebastian Ramspeck.