Russia issues warning to Finland against establishing NATO base along its border

In a recent development, Russia has warned Finland against establishing a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base on the border with Moscow. This comes after authorities in Finland's Lappeenranta stated that they plan to offer the city's airport to NATO to establish a military base there. Notably, Lappeenranta city is located in Finland's South Karelia, around 30 kilometres from the Russian border. Russian State Duma speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin warned that if authorities of Lappeenranta city go ahead with the plan to have a  military base, it would make itself a target in case of a conflict.

According to Volodin, the mayor of Lappeenranta is mistaken in thinking that the NATO base will bolster security in the area. His post read, "The mayor of Lappeenranta (Finland) offered to place a NATO base in the city. In his opinion, this will create a sense of security. Wrong. In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, strikes are delivered primarily on the enemy's military infrastructure. Placing NATO bases will not protect either Finland or Sweden. Vice versa. It will endanger the inhabitants of cities where the military infrastructure will be located."

Airport will be available if the Defence Forces want it: Lappeenranta mayor

Earlier, Lappeenranta's mayor Kimmo Järva stated that there are proposals regarding the city's airport after Finland joins the military alliance. According to him, the airport will be available if the defence forces want it for the military base. The mayor further claimed that Lappeenranta has not yet discussed with the country's Defense Ministry regarding the investments that a potential NATO membership would bring. Jarva remarked that South Karelia has a reason for hope owing to the advancement in the Finnish bid for NATO membership. 

About NATO

It should be mentioned here that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a 30-member intergovernmental military alliance. The organisation was established in the aftermath of World War II to implement the North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on April 4, 1949. The alliance is a collective security arrangement in which NATO's independent member states commit to defending each other in the event of an external attack. Since the end of the Cold War, the alliance has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, among other places.

Image: AP