Dmitry Medvedev gives quite straightforward warning to Finland in his recent op-ed titled
The New Finnish Doctrine: Stupidity, Lies, Ingratitude.
He accuses current Finnish leadership of abandoning decades of mutually beneficial relations with Russia and pursuing what he terms a “new doctrine” characterized by hostility and falsification of history. Medvedev says that the current path could end the Finnish statehood, as this time it's complicity would not be turned a blind eye.
Medvedev draws parallels between Finland’s current policies and its behavior during WWII, especially in relation to its alignment with Nazi Germany and its past military actions against Russia.
He points out that Finland’s recent moves (after joining NATO, increasing defense cooperation with the West, etc.) are aggressive in nature, violate still existing treaties, and may end up causing reparations or even revisiting wartime liabilities.
According to Medvedev past reparations paid by Finland are nowhere near what Russia estimates as the total damage inflicted during WWII, and that current Finnish actions may provide grounds to reconsider those reparations, and that particularly war crimes and genocide don't have statute of limitation according to international laws. He gived examples such as the Finnish military involvement during the Siege of Leningrad (and the Greater Finland ideology behind the eagerness to align with Nazi Germany):
"One should never forget that without the involvement of the Finnish armed forces, the blockade of Leningrad, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, could not have happened. Obsessed with a thirst for a revanche and determined to reverse the outcome of the Soviet-Finnish confrontation of 1939-1940, the leadership of Suomi recklessly plunged into the crucible of war on the side of Nazi Germany in the summer of 1941.
Ultra-nationalist propaganda narratives reigned in Finnish society at the time, and with the approval of their Nazi patrons the powers that be in Helsinki contemplated the idea of Finnlands Lebensraum – "living space for Finland" in full seriousness. The country’s military-political authorities intended not only to lay hands again on the territories that had been transferred to the USSR under the Moscow Peace Treaty of March 12, 1940, but also to reach what they described as the "natural borders of Greater Finland," stretching from the Gulf of Finland to the Barents Sea, including Eastern Karelia, Leningrad and its environs, and the Kola Peninsula. As well as to rid these lands of the presence of so much hated Russians.
In their boldest fantasies some hoped to advance beyond the Urals to the Ob River. Such territorial greed (in percentage terms relative to the country's actual area) was the strongest in Europe at that time. These ambitions surpassed even the claims to neighboring states made by "fellow members" of the Nazi-led bloc - Italy, Romania and Hungary.
Medvedev also point out how cross-border traffic is frozen and many of the checkpoints that used to be busy are now closed. Finnish government decided to close the border nearly two years ago. At the same time Finland is preparing for potential conflict with Russia; Medvedev brings up the enhanced NATO presence near the Russian border, new and expanded military facilities (garrisons, command posts), particularly in Lapland and other border regions. He says how the current rhetoric and statements by Finnish leadership are truly provocative and revisionism of history.
Medvedev finishes the article by writing:
"The Finns are paying in full for their anti-Russian bravado. In 2024, Finland's economy remained in recession, shrinking by 0.3% compared to 2023. Due to the severing of ties with Russia, the entire eastern part of the country is suffering from severe unemployment. The uncertainty of the economic outlook led to a slump in investment in 2024 by almost 7%. It serves them right.
If so, the Russophobic logic of the Alexander Stubb administration, which is insanely pushing the country into the abyss of a possible military conflict, is pretty clear. Just recently, the Finnish president said that his country allegedly "defeated" the Soviet Union in 1944 because it "retained its independence." To add to the absurdity, he remarked that Ukraine, supposedly, "is in a better position" than Suomi was at that time. Isn't this crazy? It is more than obvious: such a position runs contrary to the interests of Finland’s people.
However, while building a "new Mannerheim Line" in a fit of revanchism (in other words, preparing military infrastructure for another aggression against Russia), the main thing for the Finnish establishment is not to forget that confrontation with us could lead to the collapse of Finnish statehood once and for all. No one will be soft-hearted as in 1944 with them anymore. Nor will anyone care to read them good bed-time fairy tales about the Moomins. As the saying goes, sitä saa, mitä tilaa - you get what you order."
This article is Medvedev putting pressure and hammering the message for Finnish politicians to start thinking their own best interest. Remains to be seen do they understand any of this.
The timing of this article might have something to do with the PTB's possible plans to escalate the war in Ukraine. As French health authorities have been told to prepare their hospitals, and Russia has said UK and France are preparing for military intervention in Ukraine, Medvedev is giving Finland it's "final warning" not to do anything stupid.
These two C's comments might be good to keep in mind:
Session Date: April 8th 2023
(Aragorn) Finland has now become a NATO member, and it has one of the more capable armies in Europe. Will the PTB try to turn Finland into a battleground against Russia?
A: Yes. Not with great success, however.
Session Date: October 19th 2024
A: Pay attention to last final messages. Things are really heating up. There are certifiable, insane persons in positions of power. Goodbye.
