“Finland has literally and figuratively erected an iron curtain on its relations with Russia,” said Pavel Kuznetsov, Russia’s ambassador to Finland, in an interview with the TASS news agency. “Relations are practically non-existent.” The interview was published early Thursday.
According to Ambassador Kuznetsov, relations between the countries are in an extremely deplorable state. “I would rather say that there are no relations at all.”
According to the ambassador, over the past four years, the Finnish authorities have destroyed practically everything that our country has built in the decades after the war in politics, economics, science, culture and other fields.
“All relations have been severed, the border is closed, there is no passenger traffic,” he says.
Kuznetsov refers to the erection of the Iron Curtain and states that this has never happened before in Russian-Finnish relations. “Not even in the 1920s and 1930s, on the eve of World War II.”
"Today, all that remains are diplomatic contacts between embassies and foreign ministries and some working contacts between some agencies on some practical matters, such as border issues and the handling of remaining railway transport."
In Kuznetsov's opinion, the abnormal situation is not in the interests of the Finnish people, above all. "It is enough to look at the key figures of the current state and prospects of socio-economic development, not to mention the national security of the Finnish state, which has deteriorated with Finland's accession to NATO and the country's leadership adopting a confrontational line towards Russia."
“The alternative is to restart the dialogue”
According to the ambassador, there have recently been some signs in Finnish society that they have begun to understand that there is no alternative to restarting the dialogue. “But unfortunately, not at the country's leadership,” says Kuznetsov.
According to Ambassador Kuznetsov, Finland must respect Russia's interests if it wants to restart dialogue.
“We were not the ones who severed all ties between our countries. We are ready to consider constructive proposals from the Finnish authorities to restore ties, but of course Russia's national interests must be absolutely respected,” says the Russian ambassador to Finland. “The ball is in Helsinki’s court.”
“For our part, we have always spoken in favor of pragmatic cooperation based on respect and mutually beneficial neighborly relations. And we will continue to do so,” says Ambassador Pavel Kuznetsov.
13 comments on the post “Ambassador Pavel Kuznetsov: Finland has erected an Iron Curtain on Russia"
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Yes indeed, the general public arena, the Russian won in the medal ceremony, the general public couldn't watch and listen to the Russian national anthem, but they left right before the start! An incredibly sick group. Luckily, you don't have to follow the general public!
Finland is sick!
It's just a shame to pay the YLE tax when I don't use or need YLE for anything.
For example, Finnish-Russian scientific cooperation to improve the Baltic Sea has also been terminated, as far as I know. No sacrifice is too great for the altar of hatred against Russia.
I remember noticing the primacy of hatred towards Russia in 2015.
“We are ready to consider constructive proposals from the Finnish authorities to restore ties, but of course Russia's national interests must be absolutely respected,” says the Russian ambassador to Finland. “The ball is in Helsinki's court.”
These words from the ambassador are hopeful for the future.
When the “pubescent” Finnish administration first learns to understand and respect at least the national interests of its own nation and its citizens instead of the collective interests of its associations, an example of which is the country's socio-economic situation, then it would be possible to think that there would also be understanding and respect for Russia. Unfortunately, in Helsinki there are only scoundrels and idiots who, for reasons of their own or those of their interest groups, are unable to take control of the situation. It is sad that this is the situation.
But, -“Nothing lasts forever, neither good nor bad.” Therein lies the seed of hope.
It is worth constantly reminding ourselves that the destruction of relations between Finland and Russia has been a one-sided process, in which only Finland has been active. When relations are rebuilt sometime in the future, we can only hope that Russia will continue its patient course.
It is probably inevitable that Finland cannot be represented in these stages of rebuilding relations by representatives of the current foreign policy leadership, who, led by TP Stubb, have repeatedly violated all the foundations of diplomacy by mocking Russia and its official representatives.
It is also to be hoped that the Russian side will accept the idea that the majority of Finns have been misled and that active Russophobia is not the majority position. But perhaps it is realistic to assume that relations cannot return to a state of full trust quickly. I would not be surprised if the Russian side continues to show caution in relations with Finland for a long time to come.
Exactly. Unfortunately, in addition to Russophobic attitudes and agitated misconceptions, the military threat to Russia from Finland will overshadow relations, especially possible nuclear weapons. I still hope that a pan-European security agreement could be negotiated in the coming years. For Finland's current leaders, such a thing would be too reasonable, peaceful and even suggestive of friendship (oh, the horror!), but higher authorities than Finland could do it. It doesn't look good, but at least there is a little hope.
Much probably depends on whether the US continues to strive for global hegemony or voluntarily agrees to the diversification of the world. If the US leaves Eurasia alone and develops friendship with Russia, then we could perhaps get rid of the US bases. The next threat to us and Russia would then be the militarization of the EU.
My laptop has been in repair for over a week now, I got another one to borrow. Hopefully I'll get mine back next week.
I take my hat off to Russia and the Russians. Once we get rid of Stubb and the entire black coalition, then we can start to put relations back in order with Russia.
It will take time, but it is better than the current act of treason against Finnish citizens.
Thank you Ambassador Kuznetsov for these truthful words! I wish this could be read in other media outlets too…
HS published some kind of report about it with a commentary by the editor. We learned that the claim about Finland's NATO membership and military armaments on the one hand and the deterioration of the security situation on the other are contradictory. Apparently the security situation has improved, even though everything from the daily news seems to indicate the opposite. The Finnish economy, on the other hand, is "stressed primarily by the weakness of private consumption." Such a conclusion can really be reached when you confuse cause and effect.
One of the most brilliant gems in the article's heavily moderated reader comments is the opinion that Finland should have joined NATO in 1991, but "for some reason, Finland decided to limit its sovereignty until 2022. I still don't understand why."
It would be great if Russia agreed to normalize relations and engage in practical cooperation, even though it is understood that the anti-Russian attitudes of the Finns, or especially the Finnish so-called elite, will not change for years.
The anti-Russian drumbeat has been so effective that people's perceptions of Russia and the conflict in Ukraine are one-sided and false. In particular, nothing is really known about the background and causes of the conflict in Ukraine, but lies produced by propaganda are believed. If relations are ever restored, those lies will unfortunately live on in documents and in people's minds.
Russia was of course not a threat to Finland, which was not militarily aligned. Why then did Finland, with all these prospects, align itself with Russia as a permanent enemy (regardless of the intentions or behavior of either party)? Has the Finnish leadership, in all its Russophobia and its idealization of the Western community, simply invested in the fact that Russia would be overthrown sooner or later, one way or another? In any case, Finland's interest was not to position itself as an enemy of Russia.
I will do my small part to show my respect for the peaceful coexistence between our countries by participating, as a member of the Neighborhood Association, in the Victory Day reception at the Russian Embassy in Finland, hosted by Ambassador Pavel.