Russia to move troops to NATO borders after ceasefire in Ukraine – Finnish PM

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that Russia will move its troops to the borders of NATO countries after a possible peace agreement on Ukraine. He said this in a comments Financial Times.

Orpo emphasized that the end of a full-scale war will not eliminate the Russian threat. In addition, after the ceasefire, some EU countries may reduce pressure on Russia, which is a cause for concern.

According to him, Europe should strengthen the defense of its eastern flank in advance and provide additional funding for states at risk.

"When peace prevails in Ukraine, Russia will continue to be a threat. It is obvious that they will move their armed forces to our border and to the border with the Baltic Sea. It is clear that we need financial support from Brussels," he said.

Europe must be prepared for self-defense as the United States begins to reduce its presence on the continent. At the same time, the Finnish prime minister noted that the country's economy is in a very bad state because of the threat from Russia. The atmosphere in Finland is "difficult".

Orpo noted that the countries on the eastern flank are interested not only in the €1.5 billion in unused European funds earmarked for military projects, but also in a significant portion of the approximately €130 billion reserved by the EU for defense in the next budget period.

• on December 9, US President criticized Europe and said he considered it weak.
• on December 11, NATO Secretary General called the alliance the following goal Russia and said that member states are already in danger.