Kremlin-Polish Military Advisors To Finnish Border May Be Seen As Threat

Wires carrying comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov regarding the situation on the Russo-Finnish border. On report that Poland could send military advisors to help reinforce the Finnish border, Peskov states that 'Such moves can stoke tensions', and that, 'Finland should realise that Russia may regard such steps as a threat'. Jacek Siewiera, Head of the Polish National Security Bureauposted on X: "One of the results of the official visit of the President of Finland, [...] is an official request for allied support in the face of a hybrid attack on the Finnish border. Poland intends to respond positively to the request of our NATO ally and EU partner. A team of military advisors will provide on-site knowledge on border security, also in operational terms."

• The heightened tensions relate to an increase in the number of migrants seeking to cross the border from Russia to Finland in recent weeks. Usually these crossings would see relatively few seeking to enter, but in November hundreds have sought to cross into Finland.
• Helsinki alleges that the Russian state is purposefully aiding migrants in reaching the Finnish border in an effort to sow political discord in the newly-minted NATO member. In response, the Finnish gov't hasshut all border crossingswith Russia (except to freight traffic). Russia has denied any such 'hybrid attack'.