Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands after a press conference in Savonlinna, Finland, July 27, 2017. /CFP
With Finnish President Sauli Niinisto starting a two-day state visit to Sweden on Tuesday, the world is watching closely as the Nordic countries move closer to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Applying for NATO membership would mark a dramatic change in the foreign policy of Finland and Sweden, both neutral and militarily non-aligned countries in tradition. And Finland's accession to NATO would extend the bloc's land border with Russia by over 1,300 kilometers.
To better understand the long-held neutrality of Finland and Russia's strong opposition to its NATO bid, it is worth reviewing some historical background, particularly the twists and turns in relations between Finland and Russia as well as its Scandinavian neighbor.
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From Swedish rule to Russia's Grand Duchy of Finland
Finland is quite a young nation compared with Russia and Sweden, which had vied for controlling the area of today's Finland for centuries.
Broadly speaking, the Finnish history "can be divided into three chapters: the Swedish period before 1809, the Russian period from 1809 to 1917, and the independent period from 1917 to the present day," according to ThisisFINLAND, a website produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
The area of today's Finland was a political vacuum until the mid-12th century. Then Sweden gradually consolidated influence in the region and extended its rule across Finland in the 17th century.
"During the Swedish period, Finland was merely a group of provinces and not a national entity," the website said.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (L) and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin walk prior to a meeting on whether to seek NATO membership in Stockholm, Sweden, April 13, 2022. /CFP
As Russia gained the upper hand in its rivalry with Sweden, its pressure on Finland increased in the 18th century. Russia finally conquered Finland in the 1808-1809 war with Sweden.
Finland then became an autonomous grand duchy in the Russian Empire, with the Russian emperor as the grand duke and his representative in Finland as the governor-general.
Independence of Finland in 1917
Finland enjoyed extensive autonomy under Russian Emperor Alexander I, who was the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to 1825.
The Finnish national movement gained momentum in the 19th and early 20th centuries, while Russian nationalism was also rising.
"Starting from 1899, Russia tightened its grip on the Grand Duchy of Finland," said InfoFinland, a state-funded website published by the City of Helsinki.
"Russification" measures were introduced to obliterate "Finnish separatism" from the 1890s to the final years of the Russian Empire, according to ThisisFINLAND and the Britannica website.
After the collapse of the Russian Empire, Finland declared independence on December 6, 1917. The Bolshevik government that came to power in Russia's October Revolution recognized Finnish independence on the last day of that year.
Wars between Finland and Soviet Union
Finland fought and lost two wars with the Soviet Union during World War II.
Despite signing a Finnish-Soviet nonaggression pact in 1932, relations between the two countries were tense amid escalating tensions in Europe.
Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the Soviet Union "sought to push its border with Finland on the Karelian Isthmus westward in an attempt to buttress the security of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) from potential German attack," the Britannica website said.
The Soviets also attempted to gain control of several Finnish islands in the Gulf of Finland and secure a 30-year lease for a naval base at Hanko, noting that the Soviet Union offered an exchange of land with Finland.
After Finland refused the demand, the Soviet Union attacked it on November 30, 1939, and the 105-day "Winter War" began. The war ended in a peace treaty drawn up in Moscow on March 13, 1940, giving southeastern Finland to the Soviet Union.
When Germany invaded the Soviet Union the next year, Finland entered the war "as a cobelligerent with Germany," said ThisisFINLAND. The war, known as the "Continuation War," ended in an armistice in September 1944. In addition to the areas already lost to the Soviet Union, Finland also ceded Petsamo on the Arctic Ocean. The terms of the armistice were confirmed in the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty.
The Finnish-Russian Imatra border crossing in Imatra, southeastern Finland, May 13, 2022. /CFP
From 'skillfully maintained' neutrality to NATO bid
Finland "skillfully maintained a neutral political position" throughout the Cold War era, Britannica said.
The country improved relations with the Soviet Union and adhered to a policy of military non-alignment amid fierce confrontation between the NATO alliance led by the United States and the Warsaw Treaty Organization led by the Soviet Union.
In 1948, Finland and the Soviet Union signed an Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, which included a mutual defense provision and prohibited Finland from joining any organization considered hostile to the Soviet Union.
The agreement was terminated in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Finland and Russia signed a new treaty on good relations in January 1992, in which the two countries simply pledged to settle disputes between them peacefully.
In 1994, both Finland and Russia joined the Partnership for Peace program, which was aimed at boosting cooperation and trust between NATO members and other countries in Europe and the former Soviet Union.
While Russia-NATO relations deteriorated, Finland increased cooperation with the alliance, including taking part in military exercises with NATO members. It had stopped short of seeking NATO membership – until recently, as Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the Russia-Ukraine conflict "changed the security environment in Europe."
But Haavisto added that Finland wants to maintain a peaceful border with Russia despite its NATO bid.
NATO has gone through five rounds of eastward expansion since 1999. Russia views NATO as a threat to its security and strongly opposes any expansion of the bloc.
A Leopard 2A6 battle tank during the Finnish Army Arrow 22 training exercise, with participating forces from the UK, Latvia, the U.S. and Estonia, in Niinisalo, Finland, May 4, 2022. /CFP
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In a phone conversation on Saturday, Niinisto informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of Finland's decision to seek NATO membership in the next few days.
Putin stressed that abandoning the traditional policy of military neutrality would be a mistake, since there are no threats to Finland's security, according to a statement by the Kremlin.
He expressed concern that should Helsinki follow through with plans to join NATO, it may have a negative impact on Russia-Finland relations.
There are many uncertainties about how the situation in Europe will unfold in the next months and years, but one thing is clear: A new chapter of Finland and its relations with its neighbors is being written.
(Graphics by Zhu Shangfan)