Finland ‘closely monitoring' borders amid reports of Russian military preparations
Finland is "closely monitoring and assessing Russia's activities and intentions" near the Finnish border, the country's Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told AFP on May 22.
The comments come after reports that Finland expects a Russian military build-up on its borders after the war in Ukraine ends.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, NATO officials have increasingly warned Moscow could attack the alliance's members in the coming years.
Finland shares a 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border with Russia and joined NATO in 2023.
"We have excellent capabilities to observe Russian operations. As a member of the alliance, Finland holds a strong security position," Hakkanen said.
He also added that Russia's actions aimed to strengthen its armed forces "have not come as a surprise to Finland," but, at the same time, Finnish society "has invested broadly in preparedness for all types of disruptions and crises."
Major General Sami Nurmi, the head of strategy of the Finnish defense forces, said in an interview on May 21 that the Russian military has begun "moderate preparations when it comes to building infrastructure" close to Finnish borders.
Previously, on May 19, the New York Times published satellite images which seem to indicate an expansion of military facilities near the Finnish border.
The Finnish Border Guard announced the completion of the first 35 km (22 miles) of a planned 200 km fence along its eastern border with Russia on May 21.
The border has been closed for over a year after Helsinki accused Moscow of orchestrating a "hybrid operation" by directing asylum seekers toward Finland.
Finnish authorities claim that these hybrid tactics have intensified since the country joined NATO in 2023.
U.S. President Donald Trump, when asked about Russia's recent actions on May 20, said that he had "no concerns," assuring that Finland and Norway would remain "very safe."
"It doesn't concern me at all. They're totally safe. These are two countries that will be very safe," Trump said.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said last December that Russia must be ready for a potential conflict with NATO in the next 10 years.
Moscow has also issued a number of veiled and overt threats to the West over its support for Kyiv, including warnings of a possible nuclear response.
NATO countries in Russia's vicinity have intensified their preparations for a possible conflict. Poland and the Baltic countries moved to abandon a treaty banning land mines and are strengthening the borders shared with Russia and its ally Belarus while urging higher defense spending across the alliance.
Read also: Ukraine's new drone strategy — cripple Moscow's airports, make Russian population 'pay'
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