Finland, Nato and World Crisis

The coming parliament election in April of 2011 will certainly rise up the NATO question. Every citizen of Finland shall be sure of his representative’s stance on NATO. Once the conservative government, most representatives in favor for Finland’s NATO membership, have the majority of the seats in parliament, like in many other occasions, no national voting for NATO membership might not be organized.

Not only that Finland’s possible NATO membership would increase Finland’s association in World’s crisis and therefore the terrorist threat for Finland would become real, the important relations to Russia would most definitely be endangered. Instead of looking partner from the Cold War time ghost, NATO, Finland should actively look for participation with Russia that would serve our common good in order to protect one of the longest borders in Europe and the citizens of Finland and Russia.

Russia and its leaders, President Medvedev, Prime Minister Putin, and Russian Ministry of Defense as well as Russia’s representatives in Finland shall state it clearly that Finland’s membership in the NATO would endanger everything that Finland and Russia have built together for the future of both countries.

In my article for the American magazine (The Barnes Review) I stated that the most horrific situation for Finland would be if another catastrophic and tragic conflict would take place with Russia. Instead of looking for disassociation from Finland’s neighbor of Russia, the most secured option would be to look for friendship and cooperation with Russia. Currently the politicians and majority of the Armed Forces officers are blinded with the NATO option believing falsely that NATO would bring safety and security for Finland. As the failed operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown – NATO membership does not bring safety and security, but very uncertain times and terrorism.

Henrik Holappa