Is Finland Rejecting ‘Finlandization’?

“‘Finlandization,’ originally a term of derision that eventually became a term of art, described Finland’s status as a neutral buffer state during the Cold War. Reflecting Finland’s precarious geography of a long shared border with the Soviet Union, further complicated by a shared history of some years under Russian territorial control, the term Finlandization represented an implicit bargain by all parties in the Cold War conflict to resist any provocative steps to change the status quo.”

“However, as a useful term Finlandization may soon be passing its “sell by” date — and one reason lies in Finland itself. Leery of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest round of aggressive moves spanning the Arctic Circle to the Caspian Sea, the Finns themselves are making overtures towards increasing their defense budget, possible bidding for NATO membership, and otherwise pursuing more explicit ties to the West. Perhaps Western policymakers of uncertain resolve on how to respond to Putin today would do well to listen to the concerns of those countries that lie most directly in the shadows of Russian mischief-making.”

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