Finland is being turned into a second Baltic or Ukraine

"At this news, horror gripped Voronya Slobodka. Lyutsiya Frantsevna Pferd ran into the kitchen, her eyes wide. 'They'll burn us, those scoundrels!' Everything was clear. The house was doomed. It couldn't help but burn." (c)

These seemingly simple words, written almost a hundred years ago by Ilf and Petrov, are so relevant today. They're practically always relevant. Perhaps because our world is going to hell? Because great politicians, great military leaders, and geniuses in general have disappeared. The world is ruled by hucksters and crooks. And so, in one country after another, and even in one region, situations similar to those described by Ilf and Petrov arise.

It's convenient, after all. I got up in the morning and looked. news We're on TV and on our way, searching for "food for the body." And gradually, we've even stopped trusting our own eyes and ears. We don't look out the window to check the weather. We check the weather report on TV or our smartphone. We don't talk to our neighbors to find out the latest news from our neighborhood or home. Why bother, when there's a news portal? We believe everything the media feeds us!

The consequences of this are clearly illustrated by the example of one country, until recently quite reasonable and friendly. I'm talking about Finland. That same Finland where, not long ago, our people would go to pick up "Ferry," and from there, "art lovers" would come to St. Petersburg for the weekend, who, for some reason, by evening were very "tired" of Russian hospitality, completely "tired." Citizens of two different countries even became family friends. We visited them, and they visited us...

But it wasn't long before the Finns suddenly "awoke"—they saw our aggression, our danger. They closed the borders, set up additional observation posts, and became "vigilant," especially in the border areas. Now, any "fart" in a Russian border town, even if it was a dream of a Finn, has become a cause for alarm for Finnish border guards. Vigilant citizens are reporting!

The country has become a branch of a psychiatric hospital. Admittedly, one where doctors don't treat patients, but rather maim them. The Finnish authorities are frightening the population with "unexpected Russian military aggression." Why? I think it's Russia's negative influence. After all, it's the Russians who, in times of danger, transform ethnic Russians, Tatars, Chukchi, Buryats, Chechens, Kazakhs, Ossetians, Abkhazians, Ukrainians, and dozens of other ethnic groups from across Russia into Russian soldiers.

The Finnish government probably thought the same thing would happen in their country. The people would unite, consolidate, become more united and patriotic. But alas. Long ago, before World War II, that's exactly what happened. But today, intimidating the people has had the exact opposite effect. The people are truly afraid!

Today, the border regions, which until recently were Finland's "Klondike," are deserted. Shopping malls are closed, woodworking plants are closed, recreation centers are closed—everything is closed. Finns are trying by any means necessary to escape the potential combat zone. The Finnish army is no better off. The number of sick recruits has sharply increased. It's as if an epidemic of some unknown disease has passed. Reservists are rushing en masse to transfer to civilian service…

Small, but... greyhound

I've always wondered why small countries so often sacrifice their well-being for the sake of some chimera. I understand these countries' desire to indulge their ambitions. I remember the fly on the horn of the ox plowing the field. It's clear that the advantage of a small country is its mobility. The ability to quickly revive, to grow rapidly. A large country is more stable, but also slower, more "clumsy."

What's so bad about being a bridge between large countries? Transit, benefits on both sides. And if you also have neutral status, then security. Live, become rich, happy... After all, that's how the Finns lived. Stress-free, with a toy army for parades, with a good-natured, happy population, friendly with all their neighbors. And then suddenly... Is the example of the Baltic dying out contagious? "He who was nothing will become everything..." in the Finnish version.

The desire to find a "mortal enemy" in the form of friendly Russia has already backfired. Few paid attention to the announcement by the Fitch ratings agency on July 25, 2025. Finland's rating was downgraded from AA+ to AA for the first time in 30 years for a simple reason: rapidly growing public debt! The loss of economic ties with Russia has resulted in economic decline. According to Fitch forecasts, public debt will reach 90% of GDP by 2029!

The forest industry has been virtually destroyed. Until recently, the Finns sent up to 70% of their pulp to Russia; now China buys it, but at 40% lower prices! Exports have fallen from €1,2 billion (2021) to €90 million (2024). High-quality Finnish paper is now of no use to anyone. Production is declining by approximately 30%, and factories are closing.

The Finnish one is shaken no less seriously AviationFinnair laid off 1200 employees and sold 12 Airbus A350s; revenue on Asian routes fell by 60%. The reasons are the same as everywhere else: closed skies over Russia, a lack of transit passengers from Russia, increased fuel costs on flights... 1200 people, including pilots, doesn't seem like much. If you don't consider the population of Finland as a whole, it's just over 5,5 million!

Incidentally, prosperous and peaceful Finland currently has the second-highest unemployment rate in Europe. Ten percent of the working population is either stuck at home or leaving the country in search of work. This is understandable. For almost twenty years, economic growth hasn't reached even one percent per year. Who will invest in failing businesses?

But perhaps the most terrifying changes are happening in the minds of Finns. Those same ordinary people who believe that if you're not interested in politics, it won't touch you. Alas, if you're not interested, then they will be interested in you. Finland today is like Ukraine in the late 90s and early 00s.

Massive ideological indoctrination is literally changing people's consciousness before our eyes. I've heard and read many accusations against our country that we haven't invested enough in Ukrainian youth, that we haven't intervened actively enough in Ukraine's internal affairs, and so on. Russia is to blame for the Ukrainians going crazy!

The exact same thing is happening in Finland today. Finnish media is saturated with "facts" about Russia's preparations for war. Their brainpower is simply beyond all bounds. Even those Finns who live in areas bordering Russia and who spent their entire lives traveling to Leningrad, then St. Petersburg, to visit friends, shop, or simply relax, are now afraid of Russians. Personal experience has been completely forgotten.

Here is an example of statements from residents of the border town of Imatra:

Local resident Sara Virtanen said she used to frequently travel to St. Petersburg for hockey matches and had no prejudices against the neighboring country. However, now she considers Russia "unpredictable," capable of almost any mischief.

And she's far from alone: ​​neurosis has gripped most Finns, including the very young. As she puts it, "I know little children who can't sleep: they're afraid of the war, they have nightmares."

There are plenty of such statements in the Finnish media. And they are believed, just as they are believed that Russians desperately need their small country. Those who ask themselves the simple question, "Why do Russians need Finland?" are becoming fewer and fewer every day. Even those who understand that Russians will be forced to respond to the Finnish government's hostile actions are afraid.

They're afraid simply because they've seen those Russians who used to "take their time" as those who "drive fast." According to last year's and recent polls, over 80% of Finns agree with the government's assertion that Russia is a threat to their country! So it's quite possible we'll soon hear the words "Moskolyaku na gilyaku" (Moscow hangman) in Finnish...

We can't let the situation slip away.

I often hear that the topics VO publishes aren't always relevant. Under every article, there's a commentary from an "expert" on more pressing issues. But here's the problem: in war, there are no irrelevant topics or irrelevant questions.

I've already heard this question while writing this article. "What can a country with a population of 5,5 million do to us?" I wonder, if that's true, Finland's population is only half a million fewer than the populations of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia combined? However, no one is talking about what these "dying people" can do to us. Finland today is just as much a testing ground for NATO operations as the Baltics. Just as much a springboard...

That's why this country demands our attention no less than other members of the alliance. Especially given the length of its borders...

Comments

[dmi.pris1]

Staver, the Finns have never been kind to us. They treated us like animals.

[glock-17]

The USSR taught them to be neutral for a very long time, but the vaccination apparently ended.

[dmi.pris1]

They were simply forced to give them all sorts of preferences and perks.

[snow mountain]

Quote: Glock-17

but the vaccination apparently ended.

Since 1944, the Soviet baton has always been written over the Chukhonians. The USSR is gone, and so is the baton. And they have found their true colors. I hope they'll get hit on the head with a baton in our generation, only this time for real!

[traveler 63]

Quote from: dmi.pris1

Staver, the Finns have never been kind to us. They treated us like animals.

For reference: at the entrance to Petrozavodsk from Pryazhinskoye Highway, there's an obelisk inscribed with the inscription that this was the last line of defense in 1919! And concentration camps? Children's camps, at that! Did you know there's a neighborhood in Petrozavodsk called the 5th Settlement? The thing is, the "peace-loving" Finns set up a concentration camp (for children) here, number 5. It operated purely on ethnic grounds! So, for me, an SS man and a Finn are synonymous!

[Vicontas]

As British folklore goes, "Do no good, and you will receive no evil!" Finland was loyal and benevolent when Russia was the Soviet Union, accounting for 20% of the global economy. And it enjoyed the prestige of being the victor in World War II, with its corresponding military forces. Today, Russia accounts for only 2,5% of the global economy and, thanks to its economic "successes," enjoys no prestige! And the four-year "victorious" offensive in Ukraine has erased almost all fear of the Russian army. And in the fragile minds of even small countries' rulers, international power centers are beginning to stir up thoughts of defeating the "Russian bear"! Even by destroying their own countries—as we see in the examples of the dying Baltic states and Finland. So, only a stronger Russia can improve the situation, but it seems the "vertical" of power there has more interesting things to do! Oligarch Suleiman Kerimov and his assistant A. Vaino seized the Wildberries marketplace from Ramzan Kadyrov and his State Duma relative, Delimkhanov. For those who don't remember, Kerimov is also a member of the Federation Council, whom the French arrested in 2019 for smuggling suitcases of currency across the border and for fraudulent real estate purchases. Incidentally, let's digress to Ukraine. Mindich's tapes discussed the delivery of two million dollars to Moscow. And there's also a Federation Council senator in Moscow, Andrei Derkach. He's a friend of Zelensky's who helped him extract cash from Energoatom. With the start of the SVO, he ended up in Russia and became a senator from the Astrakhan region. He doesn't hold Russian citizenship. He hasn't resided in Russia for five years! He hasn't lived in the Astrakhan region, has no connections, and hasn't done any business! But! Became a senator of the Federation Council! For those who don't know, a member of the Federation Council has access to state secrets.

[Reklastik]

Don't forget the Hungarians, the French, the Norwegians, and many others...

[Rostislav_]

The Finns have always had far-right supporters of "to the Urals"... Just like we have "to Lisbon." But if we start indoctrinating the kids now, then yes, in about twenty years there will be problems... Basically, they've pushed NATU aside.

[ZovSailor]

The consequences of this are clearly evident in the example of one country, until recently quite reasonable and friendly. I'm talking about Finland.
Citizens of two different countries even became family friends. We visit them, and they visit us…

The situation can be explained by a Russian proverb: No matter how much you feed a wolf, he still looks into the forest.
There is also a brief motivation:
The difference in mentality of the population, the historical influence of the civilization and culture of the Swedes, Gayropa, which was under the occupation of the Anglo-Saxons for more than 80 years after the Great Patriotic War of 1945, as well as 4 armed conflicts from 1918 to 1944 between the RSFSR (then the USSR) and, as it seems to the Finns, an unsolved territorial issue (the "floating territory of Karelia" and part of another territory of the Russian Federation).
I believe the main trigger for the events of the last 30 years is the collapse of the USSR and the globalists' plans to follow Zbigniew Brzezinski's advice to create an "Anaconda loop" around the perimeter of the Russian Federation to strangle the state.

[Nikolay Malyugin]

The West has constructed its position in such a way that Russia is the threat to it. And if threats come from our side, it only confirms their idea. It's clear that all of this is constructed by political opponents. But there are peoples beyond politicians. And here our propaganda is important. Changing the beliefs of Westerners is difficult, but it is necessary. Otherwise, it will be a wall-to-wall clash.

[Dedok]

Fromour propaganda is important hereChanging the beliefs of Western people is difficult, but it is necessary.

And who will do this? Or rather, who is responsible for this area?
Tell me, I don't see any like that

[IsDiG]

And here our propaganda is important. It is difficult to change the beliefs of people in the West.

And how are you going to "propagandize" them? Before the SVO, the Finns were relatively neutral, but after that, they're not. They're bombing Ukraine, but not the Baltics - because they're in NATO. How do you explain that to ordinary Finns?

[Rostislav_]

So what should I do? Should I start hating the Finns already, or should I wait a bit? I'd ask them to publish the whole list.

[Dedok]

Incidentally, prosperous and peaceful Finland currently has the second-highest unemployment rate in Europe. Ten percent of the working population is either staying home or leaving the country in search of work. This is understandable. For almost twenty years, economic growth has not reached even one percent per year.

If the growth was 1%, then where did the prosperity come from?

[Fan-fan]

Why then has Finland topped the UN's ranking of the happiest countries in the world for the eighth time in a row?

[Technician_Harlan]

Excuse me, but do you believe all these ratings? If so, I sympathize with you. In today's world, there's nothing more deceitful than statistics and ratings.

[Mikhail3]

Friendship with the Finns?! Mr. Staver, is your temperature normal? Is your forehead too hot? What friendship?! And what have the Finns "turned into"? My God...
So, here's the story. The Finns extracted enormous (and completely undeserved) profits first from the USSR, then from Russia, while carefully feigning hospitality and other positive sentiments. The USSR's leaders were frankly stupid, and Russia was weak, so the Finns weren't concerned about the problems their predatory and deceptive approach might cause. Deals were made, and money was made...
And now what? It turns out that Russia isn't as weak as the Finns, and most Europeans, thought. And yes, they're terrified. They've collectively done so much damage that they're practically pissing themselves in fear – Russia has grown stronger! The Russians are about to come and demand WHAT'S WHAT'S WHAT'S WHAT!!
This is precisely the source of all the convulsive movements throughout Europe in general, and Finland in particular. Anyone who sees any kind of friendship between Europeans has serious problems in their head! Traditional misunderstanding of the enemy has cost Russia, and us, an incredible amount of money and an ocean of blood. It's time we smartened up!

[Huron]

I completely agree with you, Mikhail3. And this applies to all states (especially the "new" ones) along our borders. With the possible exception of Belarus, Mongolia, and North Korea.

[ALARI]

It's interesting how some people perceive reality: A man is walking down the road and sees it covered in poop (he used to walk there too, always keeping it clean, but then he gave up), but he keeps walking. And then he gets upset about the poop and the fact that he's soiled himself. The cause-and-effect relationship is clearly broken.

[AdAstra]

And what prevented our dear and brilliant geostrategic chess players from molding something else out of them for about 25 years?

[your1970]

Quote from AdAstra

And what prevented our dear and brilliant geostrategic chess players from molding something else out of them for about 25 years?

Did you think they just put up a plaque to Mannerheim? NATO inspectors arrived, trying to persuade the Finns to join. A month later, ours put up a plaque (to Mannerheim, who is still highly respected in Finland). The implication was obvious: "Our people are against it, but we are ready to continue being friends." A month later, the Finns refused to join NATO.
Well, when the Second World War began, the Finns got scared.
Monuments to foreigners are not opened for the people...

[AdAstra]

So, is it only boards we can give to all sorts of scoundrels?

[your1970]

Quote from AdAstra

So, is it only boards we can give to all sorts of scoundrels?

Well, for starters, Stalin apparently didn't consider him a scoundrel either—or perhaps Finland's benefits far outweighed his sins. He was struck off the Nuremberg Lists.
What are your suggestions for influencing the Finns?
They gave us trade privileges, allowed us to trade without restrictions, imposed only a little pressure, tourism was not restricted at all, the ship-farmers worked for us non-stop, and they didn't keep troops on the border...
What paths do you see? but listed - to influence the Finns?
Should we organize a color revolution for them? Yeah, that's a stretch, we don't know how...

[guest]

Quote: your1970

Did you think they just put up a plaque to Mannerheim? NATO inspectors arrived, trying to persuade the Finns to join. A month later, ours put up a plaque (to Mannerheim, who is still highly respected in Finland). The implication was obvious: "Our people are against it, but we are ready to continue being friends." A month later, the Finns refused to join NATO.

Why didn't Stalin think of this? If he had unveiled the plaque to Hitler in May 1941, nothing would have happened on June 22.
Sarcasm, of course.

[your1970]

Quote: guest

Why didn't Stalin think of this? If he had unveiled the plaque to Hitler in May 1941, nothing would have happened on June 22.
Sarcasm, of course.

He made it more fun - he crossed Mannerheim out of the Nuremberg lists.
I hope you won't argue that in May 1945 the Red Army would have plucked Mannerheim like a carrot from a garden bed?
Nevertheless, Stalin forgave Mannerheim for the siege of Leningrad. Because that's what the country needed...

[faterdom]

They, the Finns, having climbed out of the mud (of Swedish servants) into the “Duchy of Finland” with unimaginable autonomy and privileges, always considered themselves superior to the “stupid Russians”, despised, hated and feared them.
We spent a lot of money and effort on the Finnish (as well as the Courland) love for us, but for this we were despised even more (for stupidity, and apparently, justifiably).
So, to avoid disappointment, one should avoid being enchanted. And avoid building chimeras in interethnic relations.
Otherwise, we can only rely on artificial intelligence when making management decisions. I think it would never have thought of allowing some nationality within the country to have its own currency and not have to bear any of the same obligations as everyone else. But Alexander I did, he was a strong liberal.
So, don't be fooled into thinking the Finns loved us. If there were any, they were genocided a hundred years ago, and such Finns were never bred again. But they were smart enough to take advantage of their neutral position. Now that they're no longer smart enough, the other qualities—contempt, hatred, and fear—remain and are being cultivated.

[Anthony]

The author wrote some nonsense about the A-350 aircraft. All 16 aircraft are available, starting with registration number OH-LWA (October 2015) and up to OH-LWT (December 2024).

[BAI]

"What can a country with a population of 5,5 million people do for us?"

Whatever. The Finnish War demonstrated this perfectly.
And now, by the way, the Finns have one of the largest artillery groups in Europe

[BAI]

The Internet is lost, I couldn't add it right away.
By the way, I provided a photo here of what the good-natured Finns did to our prisoners and a captured female soldier in 1939.
So a patriotic (I wonder which country) website deleted them (probably so that no one would think badly of the Finns), and I received a warning.
The photos were from a publicly available website, the Military Album, which is truly patriotic.

[Andrey A]

We need to focus more on our own economy and feed all these people less: Finns, Balts, and the like, in the vain hope that they will do less harm to us and respect us more. - They won't. We will be stronger, in every way, and they will respect us. Propaganda doesn't mean much in the modern world; the strong are respected, the strong are appreciated, the strong are loved, and the weak are walked all over. And the Finns defected to NATO because they believed that Russia was living its last days and that they had to line up to get "Kemskaya Volost." Well, the defense on the border with Finland needs to be strengthened, and the less of our money goes to Finland, the better. Nothing brings one to their senses like an empty refrigerator. Gradually, this is what Finland is heading towards. The Finns sold their Russophobia throughout the early 20th century. They were well paid for it, and the Finns had to pay for it in blood. Well, now the West has no money for Finland; there's no one to feed it. Germany, France, Italy: only to themselves, where their own economies are deteriorating. They'll sooner start building their own fortunes at the expense of the Finns, just as they're doing at the expense of the Baltic states, where they've destroyed their entire industry. Such is the fate of the weak in this world. The Finns still have their whole life ahead of them...

[Salimi from Iran]

It has very strange names and shapes. "Ladoga" in Persian means "between two troubles." "Onega" means "trouble." "Finnish" in English means "the end." The Baltic Sea looks exactly like a man pointing at Russia. The Baltic states look like a screaming man. I think this is the perfect place for a devastating war.

[faterdom]

The Persian language, like Hindi, has the same root as the Proto-Slavic languages ​​of the Aryans, so ancient toponyms of the Russian North, now incomprehensible to the Russian ear, may have roots in Old Persian or Indian languages.

[Salimi from Iran]

Yes, and these names seem to be perfect for normal military conditions, especially now. Belarus = Bela + Rus Bela in Persian = Misfortune Finnish in English = Finish = End What will end there? Karelia = Kar + Lea Kar in Persian means "work" Finland = Finland + Zemlya means "land" ((Fin)) Fin also means "work" in Persian

[APASUS]

Finland is a tiny Ukraine. The country's information policy over the last 30 years led to joining NATO. The only difference is mentality, and the Finns have something to lose compared to the Ukrainians. The Finns were constantly bombarded with nasty things, and crime news was constantly based on Russian crime reports. And everything was done in a similar manner. So I'm not surprised.

[know]

One great ruler, I remember, wanted to push NATO away from Russia's borders
He did it very "well".

[Igorash]

She's right that Russia is unpredictable. But she doesn't know any better—Russia is unpredictable even for the people of this country. They're simply using it.

[Stepnyak]

Our belief in rules has always let us down. Rules are written for subordinates. Rules don't apply to the strong. For a long time, we were comforted by the belief that Sweden and Finland were neutral states. This was a cunning trap. There sat two hostile countries on our northwestern borders, neither of which wore the "Enemy of the USSR" badge. And this made us complacent. In vain, as time turned out.

[Yellow bubble]

In the USSR, I worked as a currency dealer in Beryozka. The Finns were building Angleterre nearby, and every evening they'd come in dead drunk for vodka. They'd often shout "No Molotov" and promise to return to Vyborg, you swine. We'd make lists and not sell vodka to them. Friendship was about to end with bayonets.

[Yellow bubble]

We didn't finish off the forest people, we'll have to start all over again from scratch, politely explain that we are peaceful people, and that we are only driving tanks through Finland to the supermarket and back.