There is a rather vivid political discussion going on in Finland. The right wing politicians want finally to say aloud, what every Finn has always known, that Russia is Finland's major security issue. - Not 'threat', mind you, but 'issue'.
We have a long history of Russian invasions, from the dawn of our recorded history: Novgorodians, Muscovites, Russians, Soviets, you name it. They all have made attacks to Finland, and some of them have even managed to occupy Finland. - Just read your history book.
Finnish-Russian border during the history(from 'History of Karelia')
The Finnish leftists want to maintain lower profile in the discussion. And they might actually be right: why irritate the slumbering Russian bear. Russia is far more powerful than Finland, and - as already said - they have a certain history of treating Finland. We do not want also Putin to adopt Bush's policy: 'You're either with us, or against us'.
For a while we thought we really might learn to be friends with Russia. But should we be cynically realistic: Isn't it far wiser to keep repeating the soviet era political liturgy of 'good and friendly relations', that everybody knew to be false, and just settle back to the safety of the good old Finlandisierung. Why stretch your muscles when you have a neighbor with so much more muscle; and tendency to use them?
Or could the right wing politicians be right, after all: Shouldn't we join forces to tell Russia, that bullying just no longer is accepted by the international community. We want co-operation, not oppressing, and certainly not again another war. - You might also want to remember that we Finns did rather well in the last few wars...
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