Finland expects a Russian military build up on its borders after the war in Ukraine ends, the Guardian reported on May 21.
Major General Sami Nurmi, the head of strategy of the Finnish defense forces said in an interview that the Russian military has begun "moderate preparations when it comes to building infrastructure" close to Finnish borders.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, NATO officials have increasingly warned Moscow could attack the alliance's members in the coming years.
Finland shares a 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border with Russia and joined NATO in 2023.
"They are doing it in phases. I would say it is still moderate numbers. It’s not big construction, but in certain places building new infrastructure and preparing, bringing new equipment in," Nurmi said.
According to Nurmi, once the war in Ukraine concludes, the Russian military is expected to begin redeploying its forces involved in the fighting in Ukraine.
"You also have to evaluate whether they are preparing to send more troops to Ukraine or preparing to build up their forces close to our border. But I guess they are doing both," he added.
Previously, on May 19, the New York Times published satellite images which seem to indicate an expansion of military facilities near the Finnish border.
The Finnish Border Guard announced the completion of the first 35 km (22 miles) of a planned 200 km fence along its eastern border with Russia, on May 21.
The border has been closed for over a year after Helsinki accused Moscow of orchestrating a "hybrid operation" by directing asylum seekers toward Finland.
Finnish authorities claim that these hybrid tactics have intensified since the country joined NATO in 2023.
U.S. President Donald Trump, when asked about Russia’s recent actions on May 20, said that he had "no concerns," assuring that Finland and Norway would remain "very safe."
"It doesn’t concern me at all. They’re totally safe. These are two countries that will be very safe," Trump said.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said last December that Russia must be ready for a potential conflict with NATO in the next 10 years. Moscow has also issued a number of veiled and overt threats to the West over its support for Kyiv, including warnings of a possible nuclear response.
NATO countries in Russia's vicinity have intensified their preparations for a possible conflict. Poland and the Baltic countries moved to abandon a treaty banning land mines and are strengthening the borders shared with Russia and its ally Belarus while urging higher defense spending across the alliance.
Francis Farrell
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