26 Feb, 07:46

Finland fears exclusion from NATO as Trump seeks to help Russia — expert

According to Jussi Lassila, Russia, as part of its agreements with the United States, may insist on the return of NATO to the borders of 1997, which in practice will mean the exclusion of Finland and Sweden from the alliance

STOCKHOLM, February 26. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump may demand the removal of Finland and Sweden from NATO to enhance Washington's relations with Moscow, said Jussi Lassila, senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

"Trump's affinity for Russia's point of view can reach unprecedented proportions," he told the STT news agency. According to Lassila, Russia, as part of its agreements with the United States, may insist on the return of NATO to the borders of 1997, which in practice will mean the exclusion of Finland and Sweden from the alliance. "We must be prepared for this and maintain our composure," the expert said.

Finland officially joined NATO in April 2023.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart discussed, among other things, the outlook for resolving the conflict in Ukraine in a telephone conversation on February 12. According to the Kremlin, Trump called for an early end of hostilities and a peaceful solution to the problem. Putin emphasized the need to eliminate the underlying causes of the conflict and agreed with the US leader that a long-term settlement could be achieved through peaceful negotiations.

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Middle East conflict

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Yesterday, 18:35

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Yesterday, 17:42

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