Finns Continue To Signal Closer NATO Cooperation Amidst Ukraine Tensions

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweets: "Spoke with [Finnish] President [Sauli Niinisto] about the security situation in Europe and Russia's build-up in & around Ukraine. We call on Russia to de-escalate. We continue to coordinate with our close partner Finland. NATO respects the right of every country to choose its own path."

• Finland is not a member of NATO, but in recent weeks and months both President Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin have spoken about closer links to NATO. In his New Year's message Niinisto even raised the prospect of Finland joining NATO should Russia invade Ukraine.
• Stoltenberg's use of words regarding countries choosing their own paths has usually referred to former Soviet states such as Ukraine and Georgia, but here speaking of Finland. Finland did not join NATO during the Cold War for fears of being viewed as a threat by Moscow and spurring potential military action.
• Finnish NATO membership would be a major foreign policy loss for Russia, given Finland's long border with Russia's north and its proximity to the city of St. Petersburg.