Poland’s Plan to Send Troops to Finnish Border Could Stoke Tensions with Russia
The Kremlin has expressed concerns over media reports stating that Poland intends to send military advisors to Finland’s border with Russia. Russian officials stated that such a move could escalate tensions and be perceived as a threat to their country.
According to Jacek Siewiera, the head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, the deployment of military advisors is in response to an official request for allied support from Finland due to a perceived hybrid attack on their border. Siewiera stated that the advisors would provide on-site knowledge and operational support for border security.
This move comes after Finland closed its border with Russia following a sudden influx of refugee arrivals that Helsinki has accused Moscow of orchestrating. Russian authorities have denied any involvement in the situation.
However, Finnish authorities have stated that they were not immediately aware of Poland’s plans and could not comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, who recently visited his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, was not available for comment.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the situation, calling the deployment of troops to the border an “absolutely redundant measure” and stating that it would pose a threat to Russia. He emphasized that there is no existing threat on the border and described the potential deployment as unprovoked and unjustified.
As tensions continue to rise in the region, the situation between Poland, Finland, and Russia remains uncertain. The development of this story will be closely monitored.