Russia yet to move troops to Finnish border: Finnish FM

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn (C) speaks with Iceland's Foreign Minister ThordI虁s Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir (R) and Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen as they attend the meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) during a NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 11, 2023. (AFP)
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  • The Kremlin鈥檚 offensive in Ukraine upended Europe鈥檚 security landscape and prompted Finland to drop decades of military non-alignment to join NATO

HELSINKI: Russia has yet to make good on a threat to move troops to the border with Finland after the Nordic country joined NATO, Finland鈥檚 foreign minister told AFP on Tuesday.
Moscow in April branded Finland鈥檚 membership of the western alliance an 鈥渁ssault on our security鈥� and vowed to 鈥渢ake countermeasures... in tactical and strategic terms.鈥�
Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia. Its NATO membership has doubled the US-led alliance鈥檚 border with Russia.
鈥淩ussia announced military reforms and the creation of new units in northwest Russia already last December, referring to the expansion of NATO鈥檚 presence,鈥� Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told AFP in an email.
鈥淭hese efforts do not seem to have progressed very quickly,鈥� she added.
鈥淩ussian resources seem to be tied up elsewhere at the moment,鈥� she said, referring to Ukraine.
鈥淭he situation on the eastern border is calm.鈥�
The Kremlin鈥檚 offensive in Ukraine upended Europe鈥檚 security landscape and prompted Finland to drop decades of military non-alignment to join NATO.
The Nordic country of 5.5 million people is also in the process of fencing in a 200-kilometer section of its border with Russia, due to be completed by 2026.
At present, Finland鈥檚 borders are secured primarily by light wooden fences, mainly designed to stop livestock from wandering to the wrong side.
Russia recently reiterated the threat on August 9 when it accused both Finland and Poland of threatening its security, vowing a response to the multiplication of 鈥渢hreats鈥� to Russia鈥檚 western frontier.
Poland has strengthened security on its border with Moscow鈥檚 close ally Belarus.
鈥淭hreats to the military security of the Russian Federation have multiplied in the western and northwestern strategic directions,鈥� Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with military officials.
Those risks 鈥渞equire a timely and adequate response,鈥� he added.
Valtonen said Finland was 鈥渁lways well prepared for different situations. Including this one.鈥�
鈥淣ATO is a defensive alliance and does not threaten Russia any more than Finland does... Russia鈥檚 criticism of NATO is a long-standing position and it is nothing new,鈥� she said.