The end of finlandization

A big and strong neighbor has the right to limit the sovereignty of a smaller one, to interfere in its foreign and even domestic policy. It sounds rude and contrary to international legal norms. Therefore, the above is covered by the term "Finlandization".

Why did I decide to talk about it now? Because this is exactly what Russia was asking of Ukraine even before the start of the war. "Over there in Kiev, forget about integration into Europe, or even more into NATO, because Moscow doesn't like that. Otherwise, it's war."

In 1939, Moscow decided to dictate to the Finns where to move the borders, otherwise - war. In fact, even this aggressive and insolent demand was only a front for the real, even more insolent and aggressive goals of the Kremlin.

In August 1939, the USSR and Nazi Germany concluded an agreement according to which both totalitarian regimes divided Europe into spheres of influence. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland fell under the USSR. In the first three Baltic states, the Kremlin quickly promoted the people it needed in power. This led to the liquidation of independence, inclusion in the Union, and therefore mass repression against all dissenters.

A similar scenario was in store for the Finns, and the border demands were just an excuse. The rejection of Helsinki was the beginning of the war. Of course, a hybrid, in which the "bad Finns" were aggressive. But there were also "good Finns" who formed the Finnish Democratic Republic, which concluded an agreement on cooperation with the USSR and called the Red Army to help. However, the technology that had been developed since the time of the war against the Ukrainian People's Republic did not work this time.

The large-scale invasion began on November 30, 1939. The balance of power by all indicators looked hopeless for Finland. The number of troops and equipment units convinced the Red Army command that the surrender would be a wonderful gift to the leader of the people, Stalin, for his 60th birthday on December 21.
But the Soviets did not take into account the most important factor that determined the nature of this war - the will of the Finns to fight.

At the center of this will is a national consciousness, which consolidated the citizens of Finland to protect their country.

Soldiers and partisans mercilessly beat the invaders. Their tactic of destroying mechanized convoys has become a classic. They disabled the first and last machine, and then cleaned the others - already immobile. This tactic was later used by the UPA to the Afghan Mujahideen and is used today by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The offensive on Finland quickly stalled and winter came to the aid of the defenders, freezing thousands of invaders who were not ready for a long fight.
The Finns withstood the first blow, but unfortunately they did not receive the necessary help from the West. Therefore, the Soviets were able to break through their defenses and eventually force them to negotiate and sign a peace treaty. Finland lost 10 percent of its territory, but did not become a Soviet republic.

The cost of this dubious victory of the USSR was very high - about 130,000 killed, which is five times more than the losses of the defenders. And most importantly: the Winter War showed the whole world the weakness of the Red Army.

Subsequently, after the Second World War, the USSR as the victor imposed restrictions on Finns in foreign policy. Their essence came down to the fact that the state cannot enter into alliances without the consent of Moscow. Therefore, Helsinki was forced into a neutral status during the Cold War era. However, they did not turn it into a communist satellite like the Polish People's Republic. And what's more, they didn't drag her into the USSR.

Today, such restrictions by a strong state on the foreign policy of a weaker state are called Finlandization. Not only the political consequences of Finlandization, prominent Finnish writer Sofi Oksanen said harshly but truthfully: "Finlandization implies moral and ethical degradation. It is an erosion of dignity that erodes the nation's mental defenses."

This is what the Kremlin allegedly asked of Ukraine before the mass invasion on February 24. But we know too well how much any agreement with Russia can cost Ukrainians. We remember that for the Kremlin, the return of Ukraine is the main prerequisite for the restoration of the empire.

That is why Ukraine is fighting. Already longer than the Finns in the Winter War with the USSR, which lasted 104 days. The balance of forces - people, weapons, territory - in our war is much more favorable for us than it was for the Finns. We finally started getting the necessary military aid from the West.

And the main thing: our persistence in this war is no less than that of the Finns during the winter war. The Ukrainians have demonstrated to the whole world the groundlessness of Russian claims to the title of the world's second army, and therefore to the demands to play the role of a global power with which everyone is forced to reckon.

In the end, this is how we initiated the end of Finlandization of Finland. The country's president, Sauli Niiniste, and prime minister, Sanna Marin, made a joint statement on May 12, 2022, that the country will immediately apply for NATO membership.

The Russian Empire is losing influence, retreating and will definitely disappear from the world map.