https://sputnikglobe.com/20220606/head-of-finnish-intelligence-surprised-russia-didnt-retaliate-over-nato-bid-1096042636.html
Head of Finnish Intelligence Surprised Russia Didn't 'Retaliate' Over NATO Bid
Head of Finnish Intelligence Surprised Russia Didn't 'Retaliate' Over NATO Bid
Sputnik International
In mid-May, Sweden and Finland formally abandoned decades of non-alignment and jointly filed applications for NATO membership, citing a dramatic shift in the... 06.06.2022, Sputnik International
2022-06-06T06:38+0000
2022-06-06T06:38+0000
2022-06-06T06:38+0000
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Antti Pelttari, head of the Finnish intelligence service Supo, has voiced surprise Russia has not retorted to Helsinki's NATO bid with reprisals.According to him, Helsinki remained “vigilant” regarding “Russian mischief”, which hasn't materialised so far.“It has been rather quiet and let’s hope it stays that way”, Pelttari told The Financial Times. “It’s a positive thing that nothing has happened. But it’s also a positive thing that we have been prepared and able to protect society.”According to Pelttari, Finnish officials are hopeful that Russian president Vladimir Putin has accepted their decision to enter join NATO, but believe that the Kremlin may be hoping to influence decisions about the placement of foreign troops or possibly even nuclear weapons on Finnish territory once it joins the alliance.So far, Finland has not shown any interest in either foreign troops or nuclear weapons, but it has not outspokenly ruled them out, unlike its neighbour and fellow applicant Sweden.Stockholm and Helsinki submitted their NATO membership bids on 18 May, citing a dramatic shift in the security situation in Europe triggered by the Ukrainian crisis. Earlier, on 24 February, Russia launched a special military operation to "demilitarise and de-Nazify" Ukraine and protect the Donbass People's Republics from being attacked by Ukraine. The Kremlin has also repeatedly noted that the further expansion of NATO won't bring greater security to Europe. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even ventured that NATO has long regarded the formally non-aligned Sweden and Finland as part of its territory, which is why their formal accession “won't change the situation much”.Nevertheless, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said 12 military units and divisions in the western region will be launched in response to the Finnish and Swedish bids to join the alliance, describing it as “adequate countermeasures”.However, a membership bid must be unanimously approved, and Turkey – a member of the bloc since 1952 and the country with the largest army outside of the US – has objected. Ankara refused to accept the two Nordic aspirants, citing their support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and the Kurdish militia (YPG), both of which are listed as terrorist organisations by Ankara.Among others, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed that Finland has become a “guesthouse” for terrorism.In return, Pelttari stressed that Finland has been following the activities of the PKK “for several years” already, called it “clearly a terrorist organisation” and assured that Helsinki “takes terrorism seriously”.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220605/finland--sweden-should-stop-wasting-natos-time-over-bid-turkish-politician-tells-swedish-media-1096025759.html
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Head of Finnish Intelligence Surprised Russia Didn't 'Retaliate' Over NATO Bid
In mid-May, Sweden and Finland formally abandoned decades of non-alignment and jointly filed applications for NATO membership, citing a dramatic shift in the security situation in Europe triggered by the Ukrainian crisis.
Antti Pelttari, head of the Finnish intelligence service Supo, has voiced surprise Russia has not retorted to Helsinki's NATO bid with reprisals.
According to him, Helsinki remained “vigilant” regarding “Russian mischief”, which hasn't materialised so far.
“It has been rather quiet and let’s hope it stays that way”, Pelttari
told The Financial Times. “It’s a positive thing that nothing has happened. But it’s also a positive thing that we have been prepared and able to protect society.”
According to Pelttari, Finnish officials are hopeful that Russian president Vladimir Putin has accepted their decision to enter join NATO, but believe that the Kremlin may be hoping to influence decisions about the placement of foreign troops or possibly even nuclear weapons on Finnish territory once it joins the alliance.
So far, Finland has not shown any interest in either foreign troops or nuclear weapons, but it has not outspokenly ruled them out, unlike its neighbour and fellow applicant Sweden.
Stockholm and Helsinki submitted their NATO membership bids on 18 May, citing a dramatic shift in the security situation in Europe triggered by the Ukrainian crisis. Earlier, on 24 February, Russia launched a special military operation to "demilitarise and de-Nazify" Ukraine and protect the Donbass People's Republics from being attacked by Ukraine. The Kremlin has also repeatedly noted that the further expansion of NATO won't bring greater security to Europe. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even ventured that NATO has long regarded the formally non-aligned Sweden and Finland as part of its territory, which is why their formal accession “won't change the situation much”.
Nevertheless, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said 12 military units and divisions in the western region will be launched in response to the Finnish and Swedish bids to join the alliance, describing it as “adequate countermeasures”.
However, a membership bid must be unanimously approved, and Turkey – a member of the bloc since 1952 and the country with the largest army outside of the US – has objected. Ankara refused to accept the two Nordic aspirants, citing their support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and the Kurdish militia (YPG), both of which are listed as terrorist organisations by Ankara.
Among others, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed that Finland has become a “guesthouse” for terrorism.
In return, Pelttari stressed that Finland has been following the activities of the PKK “for several years” already, called it “clearly a terrorist organisation” and assured that Helsinki “takes terrorism seriously”.
