Finland and NATO

Vladimir Kosin of the Russian embassy in Helsinski has warned Finland to seriously reconsider plans to acquire NATO membership, because this would be interpreted as a step against Russia. According to Björn Mansson, this is Kosin's reaction to the remarks made by Finland's Defence Minister Jyri Jukka Häkämies, who has described Russia as the greatest challenge for Finland in foreign policy. Mansson adds: "Obviously Kosin didn't think about the consequences of his comments. When he proposed a strategic partnership with Russia as an alternative to NATO membership he should have realised how counterproductive his remarks were. Older Finns can still remember when in 1978 President Kekkonen turned down a similar proposal made by the Soviet defence minister, Dmitri Ustinov. ... Our foreign minister did well to let Kosin's remarks go without comment, because although Russia is sceptical in its attitude towards Finnish NATO membership, it's not as tactless as Kosin."

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