“This is a completely pointless step (for Finland and Sweden) from the point of view of securing their own national interests,” Putin said.
“We didn’t have soldiers there (at the Finnish border), now they will be there. There were no destruction systems, now they will appear.”
For his part, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, speaking in the European Parliament on Wednesday morning, said that strengthening the defense industry is the number one priority: “The war in Ukraine has become a wake-up call for everyone.”
“Never once more must we be so dependent on others for our energy and security.” We must take care of our own defense. Strengthening our defense industry, improving our readiness and strengthening our borders are the most important pillars of our common security architecture,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
In his opinion, it is necessary to improve the overall security of Europe. This includes not only defense and border security, but also wider preparedness.
“First, strengthening the defense industry is the number one priority. The European Union has the regulation and the resources, and we must use these tools. Even as a member of NATO, we believe that Europe can do a lot. NATO and the EU do not repel each other – they complement each other”, P. Orpo added.
According to the politician, it is important to solve border security issues as soon as possible.
“Russia has used migration as a weapon to put pressure on Finland and the entire European Union. Russia is pushing third-country nationals to our eastern land border. This is unacceptable. The numbers are still relatively small, but the phenomenon is alarming. If we fail to stop this phenomenon now, it will also become a matter of numbers and a greater threat to national and European security.”
#Putin #named #actions #Finland
2024-04-11 17:21:29
