The Russians, not surprisingly, are watching the U.S.-NATO buildup in Scandinavia with concern, particularly in Finland following Helsinki’s signing a defense cooperation agreement with the U.S. on Dec. 18. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova concluded a statement on Dec. 19: “In this regard, on Dec.19, the Finnish Ambassador in Moscow was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and notified that the Russian party will not leave unanswered the boosting of NATO military capabilities on our border that threatens the Russian Federation’s security and will take necessary measures to counteract the aggressive decisions of Finland and its NATO allies. The responsibility for turning a zone of neighborliness in the region into a zone of possible confrontation will fall entirely on the current Finnish authorities.”
“I would like to reiterate that we have warned about all of this from the very beginning. Control over the region has de facto been handed over to Washington,” Zakharova said during her regular press briefing on Dec. 20. “NATO members are actively expanding militarily into the territories of these two countries, even though Sweden is not even a member yet.”
“The Americans will have maximum access to military facilities in Finland and Sweden, with unlimited opportunities to use them for their own purposes,” she continued. “However, these purposes may conflict with the goals of Finland’s residents, the population of this country, and the state’s national interests. All of this is happening with impunity. The American military will face no consequences for their actions, as they can only be subject to criminal prosecution by their own authorities. There is no control over their actions in these countries.
