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Finnish President: Putin Took NATO Application News ‘Very, Very Calmly’

Sauli Niinisto tells FP about his country’s decision to join the alliance—and the Russian president’s response.

By , a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 21, 2021. Hannah McKay / Pool / Getty Images

Russia’s War in Ukraine

War with Russia is no abstract concept for Finland. The country declared its independence from Moscow in 1917 and fought two wars against the Soviet Union during the period of World II. Finland remained militarily nonaligned during the Cold War, joined the European Union in 1995, and gradually deepened its cooperation with NATO.

Amy Mackinnon is a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @ak_mack

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