Newsletter: Under NATO's Iron Wings

NATO membership will strengthen Finland’s security, President Sauli Väinämo and Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Finland said in a joint press statement on Thursday.

This means that Finland currently finds itself in a grey zone in which Putin may express his dissatisfaction while NATO will protect Finland from the country with which it shares 1,340 kilometers of border. 

Border mayor Jouka Manninen receives the threats from Russia with utter acquiescence. 

“We know Russia, and we are not afraid of them”, the stout Finn says. 

Awoke in NATO

To HNN Editor-in-Chief Arne O. Holm, who travels along the long border between Finland and Russia, Thursday became a very special day. 

“On Wednesday this week, I hit my pillow just a few kilometers away from the Russian border. Quite exactly 4,000 kilometers on the road had led me along the border from Kirkenes to Nuijamaa in southern Finland. The forest was, as always, closing in around me – but much had changed when I woke up in NATO on Thursday morning.”

 Earlier this week, however, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said to HNN that it would not be possible to guarantee a fast-track processing of a Finnish-Swedish NATO application.

And while the USA continues developing its capacities in the Arctic, forces from the US Army Alaska now exercises with Norwegian forces in Northern Norway for the first time ever. 

The effect of sanctions

The extensive western sanctions against Russia have increasingly noticeable effects. 

Now, the Russian gas giant Novatek struggles to sell gas as international actors shy away from Russian companies. 

EU sanctions also bring the construction of Arctic LNG 2 modules in China to a halt. 

Cooperation crushed

It is most clear that Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine has shattered decades of cooperation with Russia and Russians. Press freedom is also under attack. 

Last weekend, a series of Russian journalists participated at an international journalist conference in Finland. According to the former leader of Barents Press International, that was to organize.

 At the conference, our Arne O. Holm met with Alexey Kuvalyov, who is one out of 150 Russian journalists who have had to flee Russia in order to avoid harsh prison sentences because of their journalism.

Holm also met former Kirkenes Mayor Rune Rafaelsen, who was awarded a medal of the Order of Friendship with Russia for his work to promote friendship between Russia and Norway. A Russian medal. He has now returned it. 

The mayor of the Finnish border municipality Inari, who has always had close collaboration with its neighbors in Russia, is also worried and feels an overwhelming sense of sadness. 

No new Arctic Council

During the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway this week, HNN’s Astri Edvardsen met with James P. DeHart, who is the USA’s Coordinator for the Arctic region. He refutes that the Arctic Council will create an alternative structure without Russia. 

“That is not on our agenda”, DeHart says. (Norwegian only)

This and a whole lot more at High North News.

Thank you for following us! 

The editorial staff at HNN wishes you all the best for the weekend!

Trine Jonassen, News Editor