Putin envoy warns Finland against joining NATO

[Natural Citizen]

“Does Finland want to start World War III,” asks the Russian President’s personal envoy Sergei Markov ahead of Lavrov´s visit to Turku.

Continued - Putin envoy warns Finland against joining NATO

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Lavrov: NATO expansion to the East is 'artificial, counterproductive'
Russia launches Baltic drills alongside NATO Saber Strike war games

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

i don't wanna click on links just paste the article

[Uriah]

Here you go...

Putin envoy warns Finland against joining NATO
[Finland, Åland,Swedish flags]
Flags of Finland, Åland and Sweden. (Photo: Thomas Nilsen)

“Does Finland want to start World War III,” asks the Russian President’s personal envoy Sergei Markov ahead of Lavrov´s visit to Turku.
By
Thomas Nilsen
June 09, 2014
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“Anti-Semitism started World War II, Russophobia could start the third. Finland is one of the most russiphobian countries in Europe, together with Sweden and the Baltic states,” says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal envoy Sergei Markov, interviewed by Hufudstadsbladet this weekend.

The interview with Markov is made after Finland´s President Sauli Niinistö last week said a referendum would be required to change the country´s constitutionally neutral status before a possible NATO membership could be applied.

Finland is today, together with Sweden, members of NATO’s affiliate program known as the Partnership for Peace.

“Russia recommends Finland not to join NATO. That military alliance has lost its aim and goal and is therefore looking for new tasks. If Finland joins NATO it would weaken the security in Europe, not strengthen it,” says Sergei Markov in the interview.

Markov is closely working with Vladimir Putin on foreign policy affairs issues and serves as co-Chairman of the National Strategic Council of Russia.

His statement that a Finnish NATO membership could start World War III has made headlines across Finnish media this weekend.

Interviewd by YLE, Finland´s President Sauli Niinistö said after a security conference at the presidential summer residence near Turku on Sunday that Finland and Sweden have made a joint proposal on NATO partnership, which the alliance is certainly studying.

“When the NATO partners meet next autumn, the content of how partnership could be extended will probably become clear,” Niinistö said.

On Monday, the Finnish President will receive Russia´s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, at the same summer residence.

Lavrov´s spokesman, Aleksandr Lukashevich says ahead of the meeting that Russia´s relations with Finland is an example of good neighbourliness, but admit that Finland´s stand on the Ukraine crisis has caused a decline in the intensiveness Russian-Finnish contacts.

“At the same time, in the past three months, a decline in the intensiveness Russian-Finnish contacts has been observed in view of the stand taken by Finland within the framework of the policy being pursued by the European Union with regard to Russia in the context of the events in Ukraine,” Lukashevich said in an interview with Itar-Tass, quoted by Voice of Russia.

Although Ukraine will headline the talks in Turku, Baltic- and Arctic cooperation are two other topics on the agenda when Lavrov meets Erkki Tuomioja later on Monday, reports RIA Novosti. No further details were mentioned.

[Uriah]

and here:

Lavrov: NATO expansion to the East is 'artificial, counterproductive'
Published time: June 09, 2014 22:34
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (AFP Photo / Vasily Maximov)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (AFP Photo / Vasily Maximov)

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NATO, Politics, Russia

The North Atlantic alliance’s attempts to go eastwards are “artificial” and contradict the pledge not to expand “one inch to the east” given to Russia, Russia’s Foreign Minister said after meeting his Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja.

"The artificial attempt to continue NATO's eastward expansion, progression of the military infrastructure to the east, closer to Russia's borders, is counterproductive,” the Lavrov pointed out at a joint press conference in Finland's Turku.

The strategy contradicts the bloc’s agreement with Russia and the terms of their work in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Lavrov said.

Earlier this month, US President Barack Obama announced a plan to invest $1 billion in stepping up its military presence in Eastern Europe. Following Obama's commitment, US said it would be increasing its military presence in the Black Sea region.

A couple days later, on the same day Lavrov made his point, a major military exercise with ten NATO member countries participating kicked off in Latvia, involving 4,700 troops and 800 military vehicles.

Russia sees NATO's moves as a sign of aggression in the midst of the Ukrainian crisis.

When asked about the latter, Lavrov said that if Kiev chooses Europe as their economic associate, they should "understand all the responsibility within the framework of the existing agreements with the CIS".

However, the Russian FM reminded Kiev that no one should “strengthen their security at the expense of others,” whatever course Ukraine’s new leaders may choose.

The Russian foreign minister also labeled EU intentions to freeze the South Stream project as not being constructive, and blamed "some countries" for trying to interfere in the energy dialogue between Russia and the European Union. Although the minister said there were issues before the Ukrainian crisis: "For many years our partners in Brussels refused to finish work on a new basic agreement, demanding that we give additional unilateral concessions."

and here:

Russia launches Baltic drills alongside NATO Saber Strike war games
Published time: June 10, 2014 07:27
Edited time: June 11, 2014 11:15
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RIA Novosti / Igor Zarembo

RIA Novosti / Igor Zarembo

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Russia-NATO relations

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Air Force, Army, Military, Navy, Politics, Russia, Security, Vehicles

The Baltic Sea and skies are getting crowded as Russia launches military training of its assault forces in the exclave of Kaliningrad in answer to the double war-games being conducted by joint NATO forces on the territory of the three Baltic States.

Tanks, troops, jets: NATO countries launch full-scale war games in Baltic

NATO’s decision to conduct dual war games next to Russian borders in the Baltic has not been left unaddressed by Russia’s Defense Ministry, which prepared a surprise training of first strike forces – marines, paratroopers and long-range bombers - right in the backyard of the NATO military maneuvers.

“We conduct military training simultaneously with the international war games that have started in Europe, Saber Strike-2014 and BALTOPS-2014,” said the ministry’s press service.

Zubr air-cushioned landing craft (RIA Novosti / Igor Chuprin)

Zubr air-cushioned landing craft (RIA Novosti / Igor Chuprin)

Defense Ministry noted that the military might engaged in training in the Kaliningrad Region is by all means comparable with the NATO’s forces concentrated on the nearby territory of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where Saber Strike-2014 is conducted on June 9-20 and sea-based BALTOPS-2014 training held in the Baltic on June 6-21.

The Russian maneuvers involve the use of naval groups, marines, landing operations of airborne forces, air defense training and firing exercise of front-line aviation.

“All-arms naval groups will maintain border and sea communication defense, and will perform training to search and destroy hypothetical aggressor’s submarines and combat ships,” the ministry commented to RBC news outlet.

Russian army amphibious ship RFS Kaliningrad approaches the dock (Reuters / Agencja Gazeta)

Russian army amphibious ship RFS Kaliningrad approaches the dock (Reuters / Agencja Gazeta)

The paratrooper division from Pskov will be training operational deployment to Kaliningrad, whereas marines will be training defending the coastal line from possible sea-borne landing and will also perform isolation and elimination of illegal armed groups.

The Air Force is to provide fire support with Su-34 fighter-bombers and Mi-24 assault helicopters.

Su-34.(RIA Novosti / Vladimir Astapkovich)

Su-34.(RIA Novosti / Vladimir Astapkovich)

Deployment of supersonic Tu-22M3 long-range strategic maritime strike bombers, some of which have just the day before finished training in the Black Sea, has also been announced. Together with the air defense forces they will patrol the area to make sure the airspace of the training is securely sealed off.

NATO’s training in the Baltic is an annual event yet this time the number of troops taking part has been augmented considerably. In 2013 there were 1,800 troops involved, while Saber Strike 2014 has become the largest-ever, with 4,700 troops and over 800 military vehicles, such as M2 Bradley, M1126 Stryker, and various APCs: XA-180, XA-202 and M113 taking part in the training.

Besides the two NATO war-games, the Baltic States are holding Baltic Host 2014 military cooperation training of their own near Riga.

Mi-24.(RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn)

Mi-24.(RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn)

Saber Strike 2014 has hosted troops from Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and the US.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has already dubbed even the rotational military build-up near the Russian borders as an act of hostility directly violating the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997, Lavrov’s First Deputy Vladimir Titov told Interfax.

With the background of developments in Ukraine, the beef-up of NATO’s military presence near Russian borders, “just like during the 08.08.08 war in the North Caucasus, it rather creates additional problems instead of helping to solve them, Titov said.

On Monday Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after meeting his Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja that, “The artificial attempt to continue NATO's eastward expansion, progression of the military infrastructure to the east, closer to Russia's borders, is counterproductive.”

[Zippyjuan]

Russian threats may make them want to join NATO sooner than planned. From just yesterday:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...ps-NATO-Sweden

Finland Builds Multiple Defense Partnerships With NATO, Sweden

HELSINKI — Finland’s surprise decision to move toward a historic defense pact with NATO is expected to bolster the country’s interest in acquiring F-35 aircraft to replace the F/A-18 Hornets in 2025-30.

Yet the government here is playing down local speculation that the April 22 memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NATO marks the beginning of a process toward membership within 10 years.

The MoU represents a landmark shift in Finland’s traditional defense policy of non-alignment and self-reliance. The proposed pact is to include a guarantee of NATO military support should Finnish territory be attacked.

Under the proposal, Finland would invest in a NATO-centered military organization able to interact with NATO militaries and conduct maintenance on NATO ships and aircraft, and provide facilities for fuel and equipment maintenance for land forces.

The Russian-instigated crisis in Ukraine adds urgency to Finland’s need to strengthen regional defense partnerships, said Finnish Defense Minister Carl Haglund.

“The [Ukraine] crisis will motivate many European countries, as well as EU states, to spend more on defense and raise their level of defense cooperation,” he said at a news conference here May 6.

Haglund said the MoU would not compel Finland to join NATO, but would establish a military interoperability agreement to deepen its relationship with the alliance beyond the existing Partnership for Peace cooperation pact.

“The peacetime element will focus on training exercises between our armed forces,” Haglund said. “It will mean, in principle, that in times of crisis we are better equipped to receive support from others, including NATO, the European Union and Nordic countries.”

Finland’s planned defense-enhancement pact with Sweden, the basis for which was agreed at a May 6 meeting here of Finnish and Swedish defense officials, adds a further dimension to its defense strengthening program.

The neighboring states will produce an interim joint investigation report by October identifying practical ways to pool defense resources and share tasks. A final report is due in January.

More at link.