What Will Finland Bring to NATO? A Warographics Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 26 апр 2023
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I was one of those Finns not keen on NATO until the attack on Ukraine turned a possibility into a necessity. We tried, very hard, to be friendly with Russia. But we also have a saying: A Russian is a Russian, even If you Fry them in Butter. Every Finn knows what it means.
The attack on Ukraine, a pre-emptive strike, which was provoked by NATO even though Putin was desperate for peace like is proposal in December 2021 which fell on deaf ears. Mate, you're supporting an alliance that wants war with Russia and is using Ukraine to fight for it. Your ignorance puts blood on your hands.
Me too. As long as Putin acted in a way that seemed calculated and savvy, he felt the kind of devil you could reason with. Joining NATO felt like an unnecessary provocation. And then Putin revealed that he is, in fact, completely insane and cannot be reasoned with.
Me too, I hoped we would never have to join the NATO.. but laying in bush holding rk first time in almost 30 years.. thanks to putin kinda began changing my mind quickly.
Me too, I was hoping that russia would change to something good that we would make insane amounts of money and be like what canada is for USA or switzerland is for germany, but Russia is fucking idiot country it cannot work properly best bet is to sit in your bunker and aim to their direction until they go away.
As an American, I'm curious... what you Finns' perspective on America/Americans? Obv. You're not a monolith, but a general breakdown would be nice.
For instance, do you lot typically separate your opinions of our government from your opinions of our people? Do you even go further and separate your opinions of our people by our location or political beliefs within America?
Or are your opinions (for the most part) based on American stereotypes and the recent wars we launched in the middle east which only exasperated the chaos and instability in that region whilst damaging our reputation abroad?
Because even as an American these are difficult, if not nuanced, questions to answer.
I am a bit of an outlier here, as unlike most Americans, whom unfortunately seem more than happy to fulfill at least the one stereotype; that we are geographically and extremely geopolitically ignorant - I do try to stay atop world news and maintain a decent level of cultural understanding and empathy.
This is no humble brag. I'm a college flunky. However I grew up in the North East (Massachusetts) which is supposed to be one of the most highly educated, forward thinking states of our nation. Unfortunately, the political divide and general geopolitical ignorance that has shaped my nation over recent decades has made the people of even my state (ironically, aside from our Revolutionary War history, is best known for it's many great universities) to become more tribal and geopolitically ignorant than I've ever before seen.
Sorry for rant. Appreciate any thoughts.
As a Norwegian Home Guardsman it is hard to describe the relief that came with Finland's NATO-membership. The alliance is far stronger with Finland aboard.
I've always looked up to the Norwegian Armed Forces. Top of the like equipment and training. And some of the nicest people. I'd fight beside my norwegian brothers and sisters any day.
@@thatguy1713 Right back at you my nordic brother
I hope we swedes can soon join you fellas🔥
As a former US Marine it's always been a wet dream of mine to serve alongside NATO allies. It was always a blast to serve with other nations. For me it was the Thai Marines, S. Korean Special Forces, Australian artillery, Mongolian Army and the Indian Army. I've always admired our European allies too, though.
as an American i am happy to have you on our team
Putin: "My goal is to prevent NATO to get stronger"
Putin: *invades Ukraine*
Finland: *joins NATO*
Sweden: *applies to join NATO*
Ukraine: *applies to join NATO*
Most NATO countries: *expand their military budget*
Putin: "Mission accomplished, I'm a master strategist"
Yeah he is playing 4d chess like so many claim.. but he’s doing it for nato not Russia lol
That wasn't really his goal though, that was just a smokescreen to justify his invasion.
And Finland and Sweden joining NATO is not really relevant because they were both already de facto members of NATO. Like Ireland and Switzerland, they have both been part of the Western alliance for a long time even if they are neutral in name.
Do not jump to a conclusions. The war is not over.
Putin was a CIA plant the entire time, who knew?
Once he is no longing President of Russia, maybe Putin could become Secretary General of NATO.
As a finn I never thought of mandatory conscription service as anything out of the ordinary but yeah I guess it is very rare in todays world. And honestly now that I think about it it is really funny that pretty much every finnish man no matter the socio economic status they represent, is a trained soldier.
My friend works at a damn outdoors store but is also a ranger scout sniper, I work a mid level job at a global logistics company but my other job is making planes not fly anymore, with missiles and then my boss a middle aged CEO and a relatively wealthy dude is anti tank infantry.
We are all there together if the shit hits the fan😂
We in the US support you.
@@torillatavataans711 Kaikki sellaista tietoa, joka halutaan kertoa ryssille. Eivät ainakaan tule uhittelemaan.
Finland has, at the very least, assessed how to respond to a historically violent and belligerent neighbor and keep him at bay. Finns grew up with the very real threat of Russia one day deciding to get a wild hair up its ass and try to "reclaim the long-time breakaway region". At the very worst, Finland has guaranteed Russia would conquer the country by spending Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of blood for it. At best, making said attack so costly that Russia would lose taste for the war and be forced to sue for peace again. With joining NATO, Finland now has the guarantee of not standing alone.
Welcome aboard...... I believe that Finland has a lot to contribute to NATO and towards the protection of Freedom for the World.
Welcome to NATO, we’re lucky to have you!!!
I have about 8 Finns I hang with regularly. They explained to me they take pride in and happily give their service. Sisu is an admirable quality.
It is important part of our culture.
@Von Gröger what? 🥲 Why would our military deploy into West coast? And men And women can serve in our military, all men Have a duty to defend fatherland And all women have that as a right. I Guess im not sure what your point is
@Von Gröger There's several falsehoods there. The most famous people are athletes, who serve in Sport Schools and are trained either for recon or ranger duties. It's correct that they are not at the frontline during wartime, they would be BEHIND it. Others, like singers, serve in normal units.
Swedish speaking Finns serve mostly in the Navy, which has responsibility of protecting the coast. Anybody who's been to Reserve Officer School (RUK) knows Virolahti, a terrain great for amphibious invasion and where the naval infantry would fight.
Peacetime pay is 63-68€/day depending on position and additionally there's 5€ daily allowance. Wartime there could additional pay.
You don't know what you're talking about, but 2 roubles have been transferred to your account, tovarisch.
@@vongroger8965Well the HQs and training bases are more westwards (honestly if you look at a map you realize most of them are in the middle) but it doesn’t really matter. HQs alone doesnt mean the brigade will be permanently stationed in the west. 😅
@Von Gröger Wtf are you talking about?😂
More power to Finland. Not for joining NATO, but for realistically assessing their need for additional allies. The Fins know what subjugation is, and it's a bold and brave move to leave neutral status to stand against a madman.
They didn't need to join NATO nor has if gained them any additional allies. Finland were already de facto members of NATO as they were under the protection of the US and EU.
If anything it annoys Putin so that's nice
@@yoloswaggins7121 The earlier protection was "well, they are our friends, so we might help them if it wasn't too much of an inconvenience". Now we (saying this as a Finn myself) have article 5 protection. Attack us, attack all of us. I think that's a significant difference.
@@kepanoid No Finland was definitely a red line. Any attack on Finland would have incurred the full wraith of NATO. They are in the EU after all and the EU has their own mutual defense clause which includes most of NATO anyway.
@@yoloswaggins7121 It does apply certainty for that protection though. I, like many of my countrymen trusted our national defense primarily and staying neutral was better way. I'm still not all into NATO, but my opinion has changed about it. I know Ruzzia isn't going to attack Finland anytime soon, but our threat level has increased due to unpredictability of Putin.
@@Psychid5 I mean, I'm glad Finland joined NATO. Your policy of neutrality was long dead anyway because it was clear to everyone that Finland was a member of the Western alliance and in fact you have been in the EU for years.
I'm just saying that it doesn't really matter. Not only would NATO destroy any country that attacked Finland regardless of their NATO status, but I believe that the Finnish military was already a NATO "partner" and they regularly trained with NATO troops.
Anyway, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Putin is not crazy enough to attack Finland, and even if he were, the Russian military would probably overthrow before they allowed him to pick a fight with the Western alliance.
I was on Holiday in Finland a few years ago and I saw some strange structures at the bottom of their bridges, my friends cheerfully told me that in event of war that's where the charges would be placed to blow said bridges. Very well prepared, and glad to have them in the alliance
When driving on the bigger roads here in Finland, it is easy to notice that there are often tall, vertical cliffs on the sides of the roads. The reason for this is that they are easy to blow into pieces on the road.
And the same is true in Sweden for every bridge, harbor, airport and dam constructed between 1939 and 1995. With modular prefab demolition charges designed for perfect fit with optimal efficiency and effect for each standardised type of demolition chamber.
The charges are designed to accept any military or commercial blasting cap and fuse/initiator system combo so that those tasked with destroying the infrastructure can use whatever they got on hand, regardless if they are combat engineers or just home guard militia.
We also have these very wide roads here and there that are easy and quick to turn into military air landing strips.
If you live next to Russia, you need to be prepared. I think security thinking goes through every ordinary detail in Finland.
I'm so relieved that we never again have to encounter the big and aggressive neighbour alone.
@@dimapez You do know how bridge works and gets it own stiffness?
I'm a Finn. Due to my age I have only 5 years left of mandatory service in case of a war. But even when I'm over 60, if needed, I would arm myself and defend our land and people in some smart way. The ability for that has been carefully built by our society and culture. Over the years I've taken part in about 13 refresher courses, and I still study tactics etc. as part of my reserve activities. And I go to the range regularily to keep my shooting skills ok.
Happy to be in Nato!
I went to mpk weekend.. i had not wore a uniform or touched a weapon since 95.. everything was still there.. in the spine.. with lot of extra weight and other damage caused by sports. Now lost good amount of that extra.. but FU Putin for making us think war we could have done without.
Considering who your neighbor is, I don't blame you guys for all being ready to rumble at a moment's notice
@@Tedger Agreed! Fu#k him.
@Christopher Webb Aloha! Thanks for the moral support! Feels good to be in the same team.
@@hfar_in_the_sky True... And now the hood is getting more and more ready for anything, thanks to the bully next door.
I’m a medic with 13 months in Ukraine. I’ve liked every Finn I’ve met. The guys who were coming in the beginning ready to fight, which admittedly I was scared at first. I met the surviving Azov boys on my second rotation and then only met a couple Finns a few weeks ago, they loved me!!! I had Snus 😉
Ahhh Snus....😁 Eu ban the sale of snus in the Eu 😒except Sweden🤪 they tried but we Swedes said 🤬 don't touch my SNUS!!
No wonder they liked you if you offered them snus😅
Hey Brandon...... You should get Sweden most deadliest weapon to Ukraine so they can use it, throw at the russians trenches " SURSTRÖMMING " lol 😆😆😆😁🤢🤮
@Brandon: Snus is hard currency to both Finnish and Swedish defence forces, even more so than coffee.
And if the Finns or Swedes run out of it, just get HQ to airdrop a container of it behind enemy lines and you will see fury not seen since the battle of Narva and the enemy between them and the Snus will soon be nothing more than memories and mewling captives crying for their mothers to save them😉😁
The Serbs at at least one border checkpoint were clever enough to learn that lesson and comply quickly instead of arguing when they faced four APC mounted 20mm autocannons in their faces only a few hours after they illegally blocked a KFOR supply truck in the hope of bribes during the Balkan civil wars...
The Swedish led battalion had been out of Snus for a week when the supply truck carrying the Snus resupply radioed in that they were beeing blocked...
It took less than five minutes for one of the officers to gather more volounteers for the "rescue mission" than he could fit in the four APCs availiable😅
@@SonsOfLorgar I believe this!!! I went down with 5 kilos of Snus in ziplock. I honestly thought we were all going to die in a month max, but then two days before I left I thought, what if we live???? I went a stocked up on as much as possible! So many Swedes after the first few days were asking me for some, I quickly got away from them, because I’m a nice guy and can’t say no. I went with Ukrainians and had it all to myself!!! Maybe why I survived. Sometimes on spicy cas evac runs in Soledar I had two in my mouth. 😉
I enjoyed the Finnish maps with Karelia attached to it :D
The only true map
1920 border are only border
@@hakis7139 True
It's a nice dream, but realistically Finland wouldn't want Karelia as the only one living there are Russians and the cost of repairing the infrastructure is too big to justify it.
@@markussakkinen7878How to tell you’re mentally a boomer without saying you’re mentally a boomer.
People often start finnish history in the 1800s, but in the 1700s russia literally committed a sadistic genocide in Finland + famine came and it resulted in about half the population dying. Its absolutely brutal how some people and families were killed.
The Isoviha occupation was a horrific war crime but it is gross exaggeration to claim that half the population died. The population of Finland was around 400 000 at the time. The estimated population loss for Isoviha was around 50-60k. Even if you add up the plague outbreak you don't get 200k.
You might want to take a deeper look what the Swedes did and still are doing to Finland with their oppression policies. You can start from Arhi Kuittinen for alternative-narrative.
@@mabussubam512 Don't fall for that dude's misinformation. He is a conspiracy theorist living in a fantasy past who has recently claimed (among other things) that all major parties in Finland are run by the CIA.
Yeah and there are even older wars like that. Finland was the eastern lands of the Swedish empire for centuries and had to bear the brunt of if the wars Sweden had with Russia during that time. It's no wonder we think the enemy will always come from the east.
lets also not forget when the tzar decided to give dictatorial power to bobrikov to russofy finland, wanting to eradicate everything from language to culture to a point where finns would not exist. cant say I feel bad for the commies shooting the whole royal family, and definitely dont feel bad for bobrikov getting shot.
Every Finn I’ve ever met has been an amazingly kind, intelligent person. Didn’t think I could hold them in any higher regard but hearing how on top of everything, as a nation, I’m absolutely impressed by the way they have created such a strong Contingency in the way they’ve integrated so many preparations throughout so many avenues of concern in which to stay ahead in case of anything or anyone attacking them. Completely blown away with respect to the Finnish people!
The concept is known as "total defense". Basically every aspect of our society is built atop the fact that one day russia will attack again.
thats good to hear. I am proud to hear such humans exist.
Another factor often forgoten when discussing Finnish military power is their road network. Beyond the obvious one of being able to launch combat aircraft from highways, the actual layout itself is a huge military advantage.
If you look at a map of roads in Finland, you will see that the majority form a V shape, with very few going straight east/west. This prevents an invader from sweeping quickly across the nation. They also planned bridges, overpasses, etc in such a way that they are easy to blow ahead of an advancing column, and are in areas where it's hard (if not impossible) to just go around due to swamps, lakes, etc. Add this to the mentioned artillery, who have every single one dialed in, and any advancing column would be picked apart while they tried to clear the roadway.
Similarly, the road network in Finland is set far back from the coast (except in major cities), making a navel landing difficult. Any landing force would need to cross kilometers of forest, swamps, rivers and streams to get to the nearest paved surface. And that's assuming they could even land... most all of the Finnish coastline is dotted with thousands of small islands with few navigable passages to the mainland, those passes can be guarded by just a handful of troops on random islands with anti-ship munitions, or just mined.
Finland is an absolute UNIT of defensive power.
I'm just imagining how one would tackle trying to go in a straight line across Lakeland.
Crossing a lake - amphibious landing - sandy hill of tens of meters that starts right from the lakefront and spans several kilometers at that height - another lake - repeat 😁
Imagine attacking a place where choosing a swamp would actually be the most preferred vector of attack.
We had a good rehersal a while back, when I was working with XXXX unit with my good half of our company.
Lived 3 days in deep swamps with mosquitoes and stuff (one of my friends actually hit swamp eye and fell into the swamp neck deep. Imagine the smell...)
Great times, will do again any time!
Best way to describe Finland's military strenght.
For the last 80 years, Finland has been preparing to fight Russia alone. And was confident it could win.
The kicker? Nowadays, I think they could. Russia can barely fight Ukraine. What would they do against the Finns?
Prior to the Ukraine war when the world's view of the Russian military was a bit more respectful, the way I heard officers talk about a potential conflict, I would say the goal of the Finnish Defense Force was not to "win" against Russia (just like we did not technically win in the Winter War or the Continuation War) but to be capable of holding it back long enough for other countries to join in or to simply make the war so costly to the enemy that they would have to negotiate for peace. A War of Attrition, basically.
Nice video. I still remember my grandpa saying eventhough I was very young "Dont hate Russia, just do not trust them" ...he did serve in ww2 era and was wounded. I think that pretty much sums up how I have felt all the years since. Peace is the way to go but be prepared.
Never underestimate the people who want to defend their own country, culture and way of life. And most importantly, never want to repeat those days which our great grandparents live through.
Greetings from Finland. 🇫🇮
What culture and way of life? Helsinki itself alone represents the opposite of what you were obviously thinking whilst typing that comment of yours and guess what; it's about to get much worse.
@@mabussubam512 Ryssän perkele!
@@sadul Jätä mutsis pois tästä.
Havonpaska Russian troll. Be gone. Perkele!
@@mabussubam512 You should've said " mostly it is the migrated red-green Helsinki only" ...
1:30 - Chapter 1 - The trauma of memory
5:35 - Mid roll ads
7:10 - Chapter 2 - Men in the field
11:00 - Chapter 3 - Armed & ready
14:55 - Chapter 4 - Ready for anything
19:05 - Chapter 5 - Forewarned, forearmed
I'm amazed Simon hasn't been doing this
❤ God Bless ❤
The suffering did not start at 1809, more less in 1714 when Sweden lost against Russia and occupy Finland during the great wrath. Finnish women and children was kidnap and as slaves, so far to the far east. Recent research also estimates the number of enslaved children and women to have been closer to 30,000. The worst of these massacres took place on September 29, 1714, when during one night, the Cossacks killed about 800 inhabitants of the Hailuoto Island with axes. This event was the staring point of the sprit of Finland's patriotic stand.
Forewarned, Forearmed, Foreskinned.
21:50 - Funny Joke
I liked that you actually made a point about how there's different kinds of conscriptions. Not many point this out. In Russia and many other places you can just buy your way out or go to university, etc. In Finland almost always you have to have a health related problem to be excused. Studies arent an excuse. I know for some people this sounds brutal, but what's the better option? We don't want to be a part of Russia.
(I served for 9 months)
About that brutal part: many Finns hike and spend time in nature, lessening the effect of having to outside long periods of time. Also students gets a stay on the studies and they get their apartment rent paid for the duration. Absolutely free dental care (the stories i've heard is that's even better then in the civilian sector). If you're working, you get a leave and the service is not a legal reason to fire anyone. I've seen older men soften their demeanor towards a young man after they come back from service. Train as a sapper and you get free certification to do in after service. If you have a B-drivers license and get into transportation troops, you get a free driverse license for heavy vehicles. Conscripts serving in the weapons maintenance can get time off when studying for a gunsmith and there are many more examples.
All of this to lessen the impact on the lost time. Most consider the service as beneficial and as everyone does it, it's equal for all. Sure, it's the most bestest thing to "complain" about the service for years but i bet my butt that very few would actually NOT go through with it.
When I went to army, we got one 28yo doctor with us. He had been basically studying the whole time till then and could no longer postpone his service. He got a very special training there as his skills were such. Basically he got completely personal training and the army really wanted to also get him to stay and sign up to work for them after his service.
Same here! 3months in Santahamina specializing for Jaeger battalion duties 6months in Upinniemi.
The discussion of willing (Finland, Israel) vs unwilling (Russia) conscription vs an all volunteer force (USA) is ironic to me. I'm from the States. I wanted to serve but was told 'no diabetics allowed.' Hearing about other people being glad they have to serve... Wish I was able to join too.
@@perryg6838 it's a logistics and liability issue.
Diabetics, people with heart or lung dismorphism, food or contact allergies, epilepsia, HIV positive or vegans are all excluded in most armed forces because it's just not possible to guarantee the supplies of medicine or allergen free food in an armed conflict, and a soldier in risk of collapse for any permanent condition, be it genetic or aquired by accident at the most critical situations is likely to cost additional lives among their squad mates, either through rescue efforts or lack of cover when one or more weapons suddenly can't cover their assigned sector to scan for threats or return enemy fire.
It was definitely an exciting bit of news to hear this year that Finland was officially joining NATO! The fact that their entire society is set up to defend themselves from the threat of Russia is very interesting, living in Canada, I can't imagine having business leaders discussing how to keep their industries running after an invasion.
As ambitious folk, many of the business guys have gone through the reserve officer program while serving in the military. They get the experince of commanding a unit in person for half a year, and afterwards attend to some refreshment exercises. It's a common background for many of them adding to the meetings mentioned in the video.
Who the hell gets excited about NATO News? Lol unless your the leader of a current NATO member i cant see a single reason why anyone else should ever get excited about NATO News
@@franklinkz2451 Best way to know how badly beat nazi russia is if it comes to battle
@@franklinkz2451 He said it was an exciting bit of news not that he himself was excited, difference really isn't subtle between myself being excited and something being exciting.
@@franklinkz2451 Why not?? The world has another Hitler on the loose, one who invaded Ukraine, the one who keeps talking SHIT about his nuclear arsenal and nuclear war?? Are then excited about that?? Or are you just ANOTHER PUTINBOT???
Always had massive respect for the Finnish. Glad to have them as allies.
In addition to great soldiers, they also seem to have a high number of great racing drivers too!
Finland also has the most heavy metal bands per capita in the world.
@@northpotato Brutal af 🤘
Great video overall and quite accurate information, though there were few mishaps:
7:35 The Finnish defence forces consists of around 10 thousand professional soldiers and/or officers, the maximum number of people serving at anytime is that +10-20 thousand conscripts. Also it should be noted that the broader guard (~3000) is under the ministry of interior during peace time and only during wartime will be transferred to he MoD.
10:10 The 3/4 is around the ballpark since the exact number was ~82%, but the question definitely was not "Would you die for you country?" But rather “If Finland were attacked, would you be prepared to participate in the various tasks of national defence according to your abilities and skills?”
12:30 You state that the "A4s have been replaced by A6s" it unfortunately is not true. Even though they are "officially deemed as reserve tanks" the older leopard 2A4s are still in usage by several different units and conscripts still receive training for them. Meaning the ~312 tanks+IFVs is actually closer to ~415.
14:55 I don't understand how this is a big thing? We're always known that ruskie missile sights are on us. Hybrid warfare isn't a big problem either since a majority of the population is prepared for by education and well to put it bluntly common sense.
It never ceases to amaze me how in-depth these videos are. Thanks for covering this topic and greetings from Finland!
Damn, the Finns really are prepared. Nice job Vlad, you've pissed off a worthy adversary.
I am proposing a medal for "Putlin", as "The NATO Salesman of the Year".
He made/pushed, the thing in right direction for us Finns, as I see it.
from a Finn in Diaspora
Thanks to him, my country suddenly awaken from realisation that china will do the same to us someday as well and now we're taking to united states for additional defense
Putin made everyone's paranoia each other (that russia/ china invading some of their neighbours) a reality.
Basically. He just tip over the dominos of war
No. He already has one for single handedly raising the stock prices of Raytheon hahahaha.
@@darthtripedacus1 Lockheed is making bank too. Execs in both companies are trying to figure out how many more places they can buy mansions.
I like that you, too, use the word Putlin instead of Putler. Obviously that subhuman scum should be compared to Stalin, not Hitler.
"What does NATO gain?"
A nation of socially conscious, emotionally mature and progressive... completely indomitable warriors.
They're a boon to any war effort they're involved in.
TWO WINTER WARS!
Back in the 1930s and late 1800s but definitely not now, even Indonesia can fight them off now
being progressive is not useful for an alliance, more conservative countries tend to have higher military budget and more loyal people
@@Valleygirl210 lol?
@@Valleygirl210 Least coked out Indonesoid
What I liked about this analysis, over many that have been popping up over the past year, is that it pays attention not to the number of reserves, but that the reserves train, regularly. For instance, I train roughly every 12-18 months. Furthermore we're training not just for our immediate role, but also to keep up our fighting skills. I'm 55 and decidedly not a crew that would be thrown to the front lines, yet in every refresher course even we go through shooting practices to keep that skill up. And the scores aren't bad. In addition, what even this analysis misses, is that we train in the group that we'd fight with, should a war break out. This means that not only we're troops that have been regularly trained - we're troops that have been welded together to perform our task as well as we can, through years of training TOGETHER.
Finland's preparedness level is rather unique in the western world. Conscription has never been seriously questioned, almost 1/3 of the adult population are trained reservists. Civil defence is taken seriously, in Helsinki there are bunkers everywhere, as part of everyday life.
As a finn, i always tought that this was the bare minimum but last year has taught me that this is the maximum :DD some countries dont even think about their safety it absolutely insane tought to me :D like what are you going to do when russia attacks :DD maybe its just our location that is driving me insane about safety :DD
I moved to Japan to study, and got somewhat of a culture shock the first time when I got a notification that a N-Korean rocket had been launched towards Japan and realized there were no shelters anywhere near where I lived. The notification itself was sent some 10 minutes after the launch when the flight time is 15 minutes, so I just decided to lay back down and try to get some more sleep. "No time to run, no place to hide, might as well", I thought. 😂
As a US veteran I think it's time to for us leave NATO for Europe, our mission was complete the day the USSR fell. George Washington and all our founders warned us, to avoid foreign entanglements, this still holds true. WE have no role in European affairs.
@@MasterBlasterSr The US military is present all over the world, especially in Asia, where most of the deployments are.. "Avoiding foreign entanglements" would also mean leaving South Korea and Japan.
USSR is gone but Putin's Russia is acting like Stalin's USSR.
@@mikrokupu Japan and S Korea are richer and better equipped than Russia. Both should develop and field Nukes to defend themselves. No reason for my country to continue paying for their defense. I've served in the Army for 11 years my wife has also, and so have our sons, many years of combat and purple hearts amongst my sons. It's time for us to focus on our economy and our own borders.
Finland is awesome! Massive respect to Finland 🇬🇧🤝🇫🇮
Your conclusion is correct. What Finland brings to NATO is not a superpower's power projection. It brings a nation that fully fullfills its own responsiblities and therefore can supply other members with needed know-how, ammunition and support leading up to and in case of war. In the case of a larger conflict, Finland will not be the weak link but instead tie up a large portion of Russian forces, if the conflict is in the European theater of war.
it will open up a new front in the american invasion of russia.
As a US veteran I think it's time to for us leave NATO for Europe, our mission was complete the day the USSR fell. George Washington and all our founders warned us, to avoid foreign entanglements, this still holds true. WE have no role in European affairs.
@@MasterBlasterSr as a russian troll you should stop spamming that nonsense everywhere
I agree. Finland is a great ally. Given how weak Russia has proven to be in Ukraine, I don't think Russia could handle a two front war (which Finland adds an additional front in any NATO-Russia conflict)
@@MasterBlasterSr Absolutely fuck off with that. You think if Russia or China takes over Europe (which is far from guaranteed, but certainly more likely if the USA leaves NATO) they won't be building up the strength to break us next? They are containable and beatable in their current positions, but that will not be the case if they are allowed to expand unopposed.
And these are only the things Finland wants you to know...
Yeah.. I know.. 😉💪
@@petteripunakuono3446 grow real muscles
I'm happy to have a little Finnish heritage 🇮🇪💙🇫🇮. Take that, Puntler!
Ireland isn’t even in nato 😂
Fantastic episode thank you for your work. You have so many channels making so much interesting content. Great subtle dry humor I love it.
Finland also excercises a Switzerland type of Defense i like to call Earthbending.
Major road and railway networks are rarely built laterally (East-West) to ensure that Russian invaders can't use them efficiently. In addition, when roads meet terrain with rocky hills, the road is dug trough the hill so the cliffs on either side can be blown to cut off the road. Lastly, Ofc bridges have places for explosives.
Finland knows it's position. When you are the underdog in every conventional way, you have to perfect everything you can. Finland utilizes it's terrain to the maximum and has perfected it's logistics.
also Finland has the ability to flood the easter border and make it swamp land so the attack stops there
If i didn't know what i did about Finland. This would terrify me about the country if just hearing it lol. But I'm glad Finland has always been one of my most respected and admired countries. Also Fins are probably the only ones who can give the Canucks any competition in NATO lol.
Thank you for yet another great video. Could you guys talk about the Sudanese Civil War? 🙏🏻
Finland might not be prepared to ship out significant forces to assist in NATO operations elsewhere - but they are serious about their war prep and don't treat possible invasion as a game. Not only are they well set to defend themselves - they pose a threat to the Russians across the border. A great country to have in NATO.
Actually from 2008 we have been in every single NATO foreign operation so we are ready in that sense too. We have been part of NRF troops since then even though we were not full members. It was and still is quite important part of our military, they say they need to learn and improve our military and best way to do it is that way.
NATO doesn’t want Finland for its military…..they want it for its geography. Control of Finland cuts Saint Petersburg off from the Baltic and allows NATO to tighten its grip and further strangle Russian shipping …and prevents Russia from supplying Kaliningrad…which will likely be the next Russian territory to fall to NATO control.
Can we have seconds please? I'd love a video on the significance of Sweden also joining in a bit more detail.
Here, here! I'd love to hear more as well.
There is no significance because both countries are not powerful enough to actually help the United States and the rest, they are just another leech to us
all swedes are gay. regards, finland.
Sweden is still being blocked by Hungary. But what you get is more of the same. With a bit more emphasis on air power.
@@ag7898 Sweden doesnt really have a ground army, and they are no where near being as well prepated as Finland.
Welcome to the NATO family Finland! 🇷🇴🤝🏻🇫🇮
TYVM :-) FDF reserve officer here.
They will be useless like 90% of the countries there
Yes, im sure they will enjoy being a part of the American military industrial complex as a vassal state
@@Nope_handlesaretrash we will much rather be a part of that, than to be invaded by Putler, thank you very much 🇫🇮🤝🇺🇲
@@Nope_handlesaretrash cry some more
It's ironic that an invasion to stop one of Russia's neighbours from joining NATO prompted another one to do so...
If you dig a little bit of history up this is not the first time Russia/USSR had a goal but their action ended up doing the opposite.
Love these in-depth analyses !
In addition to the f35s the Finnish df are also getting the ”David’s sling” long range missle system.
Finland is one of the two countries in the world that I'd happily try to run and defend if they were ever invaded by a foreign country. I'm glad to see that they'll be an independent country for the foreseeable future!
What's the other one...? 🤔
@@timoterava7108 Japan! The BT-42 must be protected at all costs.
@@cloud_tacky6086 but.. its located in Finland.. tho its restoration was paid by japanese girl und panzer fans.. or have they stolen it now? 🤔🫣
@@cloud_tacky6086 Hahaha, you'd like my son, he's half Finnish, half Japanese, dual nationality too.
Wow, you really have done your homework regarding Finland, I'm really impressed! Nice video!
13:19 Wow, every single Baltic state was pointed out incorrectly. I'm not even mad, that's impressive.
Viro, Latvia Liettua (in Finnish)
Always for some reason makes me think of traffic lights.
lol
I don't think it was the presenter that got them wrong though, if I had to name them I'd probably name them in that order. Whoever did the graphics though, why would you even point them out in that order. Totally random.
Along with "Kalingrad", not sure where that is but the Russian exclave is Kaliningrad.
@@atnfn I agree, Simon read the script, the editors messed up on the arrows.
Nice video, though I want to point out something. Helsinki doesn't really decide on things. It is just the capital, but the capital does not have any special rights because of that. Yes, the parliament, government and president work there, but we don't ever say "Helsinki approved this law, Helsinki applied to join NATO, Helsinki acquired these tanks" etc. It is Finland, Finnish government, Finnish defence forces etc. It's a small detail, but it just manages to push my buttons every time that kind of thing is said on the video 😅
Putin, NATO's salesman of the year
He sold us trash, Finland is useless to the USA , there is nothing they offer
@@Valleygirl210 Ok Indonesoid
@@DogeickBateman what his comment about lmao
@@abiqaNbijaN A circlejerk about how Indonesians like him have subpar IQ but how America bad Finland bad something idk
As a US veteran I think it's time to for us leave NATO for Europe, our mission was complete the day the USSR fell. George Washington and all our founders warned us, to avoid foreign entanglements, this still holds true. WE have no role in European affairs.
You can imagine a legion of drill press operators coming in like “And here we go!”
And here we have small clay figure of president putin, it does not look like it but it is very dangerous. We have to deal with it *WHIRRRRRRRR*
In one word...STRENGTH. Welcome Finland!!!
Great video, thanks for creating
Im sorry but that pronunciation of "pohjanmaa " at 12:49 had me dying 😂
On another note great video, i myself served in the Finnish defense forces in 2020 as a K9 crewman
To be fair, almost no one outside of Finland can correctly speak your crazy Suomi gibberish. :D
I worked a hotel front desk for a couple years, and we had a large group of Finn's that would come in biannually for training. The first time I had to check in 30+ Finns, I think I apologized to every single one for butchering their name. By the third or fourth time, I was actually getting close to a correct pronunciation [for a native English speaker, at least.]. When I moved to another department about two years later, I had a pretty good handle on getting their names correct. I loved when they'd have a new attendee, when I got their name almost right it would make their day! Great people, you all are, at least in my experience.
The way he pronounced Pohjanmaa would be about as accurate as pronouncing Tennessee as Tennis-shoe lmao.
@@Tekisasubakani Finnish is a phonetic language meaning every letter corresponds to a certain sound without complicated rules that would change the pronunciation when paired differently. It gets weird when English-speakers apply their pronunciation rules to Finnish words while the word is literally written as it should be pronounced. Obviously there are some differences on how some letters are pronounced ie. in English 'j' makes a 'dz' sound, while 'y' as in 'yankee' makes the sound close to Finnish 'j'. After you get past those differences, you'll know 100% of the time how a Finnish word is pronounced. To a Finn starting to learn English in 3rd grade, pronunciation is weird because to us, English-speakers make up sounds that don't appear in the written form of the word. If a Finn heard an English-speaker saying 'Miami' out loud and had to write the name down without knowing any English, he would write 'Maiämi' - one letter for each of the sounds the English-speaker made.
@@excuseyou1526 that's a great comparison 😂
I literally had to listen that part like 10 times to confirm that he was actually trying to pronounce Pohjanmaa! 🤣 Had me in tears for a good while! 😂
It’s wonderful that the Finns are experienced with hybrid warfare. I think more countries should educate their citizens about this kind of thing. And training for businesses about how to function even after fighting has started is something that the rest of NATO should adopt! Very happy to have Finland in the alliance 😊🇫🇮
if there is positive thing about russia its russian propaganda, truth is that russia is shit hole and if russian speaks assume that he lies.
We have reserves and spares for the reserves and spares, spread all over, most in deep caves and bunkers. Some of our bomb shelters etc function as sports and training facilities in peace time.
You sir do a great job I enjoy revisiting these points in history with you .😊
There is also the roster of strategic workforce. Meaning if you work in field that can be considered strategic for national security and are not in firstline go into front you all ready have designated position for war time economic needs.
I think many Russian icebreakers were actually built in Finland, sans their nuclear propulsion systems. Now there is an export ban due to the situation in Ukraine. At least, I believe Helsinki Shipyard is part of that action.
Russia still lacks ability to builds icebreaker ships. They are not getting any more of them at least in few generations to come
About those Leopard tanks. Finland went for a second-hand shopping spree to get them when other EU countries were downgrading their own armies in the 2010s. The future was about insurgency actions and special forces, after all. Finland got laughed at for keeping to soon-to-be irrelevant form of warfare.
Killer episode! Thanks a bunch, Simon and team!
As a US veteran I think it's time to for us leave NATO for Europe, our mission was complete the day the USSR fell. George Washington and all our founders warned us, to avoid foreign entanglements, this still holds true. WE have no role in European affairs.
Wonderful jumper on Simon this week.
This video might been the best from the subject at this moment. Enjoyed watching it
Snow speaking Finnish is Russia’s version of trees speaking Vietnamese
🇫🇮 🍾🔥
Funny cause most of those dudes were Ukranians in the winter war.
@@Nope_handlesaretrash
They were not!
Just because that one famous division (44th ID) destroyd at the Raate Road was Ukrainian, doesn't make all soviet divisions as ones.
In the Winter War out of 49 soviet divisions (there were c. 60 all together) recognised by the Finnish intelligence, 10 were Ukrainians and 7 Belarusians. Abt 2/3 were russians.
We have some vietnamese here as well, teach em to ski.. and russians will be quite confused...
During my conscription one of our sergeants wanted to showcase the effectiveness of our winter equipment. He had ordered one of the NCOs (don't know what the TL for his rank would be, NATO OR-4) to hide in the vicinity from our barracks in full battle gear, and then made us stand in formation trying to look for him from where we stood.
His hiding spot had been only 20 meters from us, proving the gear's effectiveness. What he said to us while walking past, however, made it even better.
See, this NCO was a 2nd or 3rd generation immigrant from somewhere way in the south (as in: anything close to middle east and such latitudes), and had the complexion to prove it. His words to us (uttered in perfect local accent) were, and I quote: "I tell you, it's unreal how well a brown man can just disappear into the Finnish winters. Y'all should have no problems." 😂
@@Ichigoeki NATO OR-4 corporal (alikersantti).
Awesome as always! Thank u
Really glad this channel by far one of the best historical war/ modern war channel out there
From what I've seen, they have some pretty awesome marsh/swamp vehicles. Some really awesome boats. They have a strange type of geography so they have some stuff other countries don't.
I am so happy we kept building our defence forces when many other countries did not..
Yep. There were naysayers who wanted to stop, or lower regulations on building shelters. Glad we didn't.
@@Sienisota I am trying to remember who were those naysayers… Were they all from the Vasemmistoliitto? I was talking with my friends last week and nobody could remember anyone who is against the military conscription 🤔 Of course there are always some who declines the service, put it is so minuscule amount 🤔
And actually we are well trained. Sounds weird, but we are doing it right. In the other news Finland will help Sweden to build its army back by assisting and training their personnel🤔👍
Swedish have fancy weapons 🎉 Not enough men or training personnel.
@@verttikoo2052 this was some time ago. Like twenty years ago. I think it was actually someone in kokoomus who floated the idea to reduce military spending. However, some studies showed that the training actually improved some peoples eating and exercise habits permanently for the better, so the idea was dropped.
Welcome, Finland. Glad to have you!
Who r u president?
@@knightlord368Fortunately In Europe you don't need to be president to greet someone.
@@Chris.Pontius good job greet them in real life not even comment section bro
@@knightlord368 Ok, Mr Grumpy.
@@Chris.Pontius grump cat died years ago
If you do the fast taps for going back 10 seconds at the start of the video, you can hear Simon making a mix tape
Finland bitterly remembers the Russian empire, Soviet Union and the winter war
Though the fins won in the end it was a bloody and brutal victory
Whether we won or not is an open question. Yes, we kept our independence but we had to cecede land to soviet union AND pay reparations to them and those arent things a victor of a war does.
Finland lost both wars against USSR. It lost land and had to pay reparations. Winners don't have to do that
Finland lost the Winter War, hence losing territory and paying war reparations. It wasn't a total victory for the soviet union, but it wasn't a victory for Finland either
We didn't win either of the mid century wars, we lost territory and had to allow a soviet base that was able to nullify the point of having a navy. We just did not lose completely, but we certainly did not win, far from it.
Its a rela win. They lost acces to the artic sea and Nikel. They lost Karelia with their second larget town. They a lot of almost unpopulated terrain in their east as well.
Lol... old Finnish borders.. I wonder what Simon is suggesting here? :D
simo? häyhä?
The CORRECT Finnish borders...
@@moonliteX Simon Whistler, The fact boy. Probably has a video about Simo Häyhä on some channel.
Great work
Nicely done
Putin proved that the concept of neutrality wouldn't protect you anymore, even armed neutrality wasn't worth risking anymore.
As a Swede it was like a bit flipped from 0 to 1 in my head the moment Russia invaded, neutrality was dead and now NATO wasn't some historical entity without a purpose anymore, it was our new goal to strive towards.
We should all be afraid of the N word
Greetings from Finland. Big correction: We never were neutral as far as I know. Not a single word of our neutrality has been spoken in my life time here that I would have heard, not even in the army. We were militarily non allied which is quite different.
Huge thing that also gets rarely mentioned is how at the end of 2021 Russia changed their rhetoric they had held since 2nd world war regarding Finland from roughly "It is good for region and balitc sea if Finland stays non allied" to dictating that we are not allowed to join NATO or other alliances etc. That was HUGE but it got drowned out in foreign media by the attack on Ukraine few months later. That solidified the "Screw them, we're going to NATO"
Don't know about declared neutrality, but we were de facto neutral from the start of our independence until the continuation war and then again a few years after the collapse of the USSR until we joined the EU.
@@FINNSTIGAT0R With CCCP dictating so many things to us and holding military bases on our land for few decades, we weren't neutral during the time Soviet Union was around. You could argue that Finland was neutral during the time after Soviet Union collapsed till 1995 when we joined EU. I say it was just transitional time.
@@justskip4595
But that's what I said 🤔
@@justskip4595
And when the USSR was around we had a treaty with them, which forbid us from joining alliances, so mandated non-alignment.
@@justskip4595 all you have to do is remember your history. Welcome to the club =)
Very informative video, sir..........
We embody "fuck around and find out"
I think one of the best things they bring to the table is the experience of training massive segments of their population. In many other developed countries besides Taiwan and South Korea, we’ve treated war as something a few hundred thousand volunteers can handle.
If a major proxy war breaks out without nukes like in Vietnam or Korea we might need to expect to send in several hundred thousands possibly millions.
As am American. I'm so damn glad the Savage frosties called the Finns have joined NATO.
I was happy to call them friend. I'm ecstatic to call them brother now. With a Finn, A Northman, (soon to be a Swede), a Pissed off Pole, and a very.. very Grumpy American on your side.
How can you fail.
We need to stand together and look out for eachother more than ever. I'm so glad we can look to the Finns as more than just close friends now.
And as someone of Scandinavian descent. I cannot wait for the last of the Nordic peoples, the Swedes to join.
When you've got Vikings on your side. Doom upon you Mr Tango.. doom upon you.
warms my cold finnish heart when I hear such compliment as Savage frosties 😂 thanks
When ya guys stop u r hypocrisy
Excellent Video!
being an autosports fan I can see the Finn's drifting leopard tanks at high speed while taking out russian tanks left right and center
Meanwhile on planet earth...
@Scarlet Dani 🤣🤣🤣 Russian bots are so March 2022. Try harder....as i told your mum last night😉
@@wellardme what he commented is actually the truth you're just negative person
@joumään I'd rather be negative than some deluded idiot who has been brainwashed by msm and twat channels on RUclips. Mate, dear old Suomi isn't the same as seen in Tuntimaton Soltilas in 2023. Besides, i know 100% that Russia is intetested in Finland at all... unless like Ukranians you are nazis and murder ethnic Russians. Then you're fine👌🏼 ah but joining NATO means you could have nukes stationed on your territory aimed at Russia. In that case, nice knowing you, Finland👋🏼
There's an actual anime scene depicting a similar scene, although with older models, even has a Finnish polka playing in the background. 😂Can be found with "Girls und Panzer der Film - BT-42 scene on crack (1/4)"
Because of course there's an anime about it.
Cool video and interesting view-point. A small problem though, your map seems to be from the 1930's. Finland is smaller around the lake Ladoga.
Around the 3:20 mark and in the video picture.
It’s the real map of Finland 😉
I've always had mad respect for the Finnish military. But, at about 12 minutes in, I began to realize that Finland has never needed NATO. NATO needs Finland. In regards to NATO readiness, Germany is not what it could be. In my very humble opinion, this is why countries such as Poland and now Finland are at the forefront in Europe.
I proudly acknowledge that we are an important addition to the NATO alliance. But let's be realistic. We'd be pretty f'ing good in a defensive land war, but we couldn't keep at it forever, even though Russia isn't as competent as previously thought. The NATO umbrella gives us tactical air and naval and material support, but more importantly, a strategic backbone.
We probably don't strictly need NATO but it's all about deterrent. Not worth losing half our population over killing mindless orcs
@@kepanoid Don't worry, there's lots of other countries other than Russia you might have to fight now that you're part of NATO. Syria, Algeria, Iran, North Korea. The sky is the limit.
@@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462 other than selling weapons systems to a weak Russia, no chance. Maybe aliens could attack.
Always a treat listening to The Best
Didn't know the Simonverse had this channel in its arsenal. Subbed immediately.
"what will finland bring to NATO?"
1: giant balls
2: uncle simo
Fun fact is that Moscow bought at least some of its ice breking capacity from Finnish yards.
They had no capability and no clue how to build icebreaker ships so they bought some from us.
At the moment it looks like they are never getting new ones to replace existing ones after they are worn out.
Well played putler, outstanding move.
@@pekkajarvinen69 Yup, that is the longer version with all the hows and the whys or the othrr way around.
This might be the best video so far on this topic. You get a thumbs up from this finn.
Greetings from Finland. Loved this video, very accurate and nicely done. i love your voice too, smooth to listen :)
A few of the maps have Finland in it's pre Winter War boarders. Which might be the future Finnish borders if Putin decides to try and invade us.
If there was ever a country that is prepared for Russian aggression, it's Finland.
Don't be stupid they will try to be nuetral untill they don't get invaded both ukrine russian leader did some shit that leaded to war
Wonderful news!
I have to add one advantage we Finnish people would have in a war that is VERY true. The Finnish man's ability to be icecold, CALM and calculating to fulfill his mission in almost any circumstance, like a machine. Drives you absolutely crazy in normal life sometimes but can be quite crucial quality in warfare 😅
Supposedly that is genetics.
I have also heard that during WW2 nazis studied that quality in the hopes of harnessing that coldness for their own troops, they did not have enough time to do more than "scratch the surface".
@@Nuinwing it's probably culture not genetics. Our genetics are closely related to Sweden
@@jondoros Culture has a part in it but genetics also and us Finns are a rather odd people in Europe when it comes to genetics and our closest relatives seem to be the Estonians, Swedes are actually rather different.
@@Nuinwing Depends on where you're from. Finns in Ostrobothnia are actually quite closely related to Swedes.
@@Cronin_ finnish swedes sure as they are the decendants of those swedes who did not leave when sweden lost control of finland.
At around 13 minutes, the borders of Finland shown are those of pre WWII era, before we had to give the soviets a part of Karelia.
Edit: same was in towards the end as well.
Yea the borders are all over the place in this video
lizard elite has shown their plans
Simo Haya smiling down
Great video. Bonus points for the South Park reference
They will bring some badass ski troops and terrifying snipers.
“Prussia was not a country with an army, but an army with a country”
-same goes for Finland, curious insight follows; the conscript's bed sheets are actually formed from the Bavarian flag's shape but referred to as the Prussian flag here on account of the colour affiliation. We've always had close and friendly ties with the Germans.
All of these infomercials lack in the chronological phasing of what actually shifted our National interest toward joining. The snowball effect started already in December 2021 when Putin and Russia started demanding no new members and a defacto return to spheres of influence on the European map, especially on the bordering countries to Russia. This would have left Finland alone against Russia should the Macronist Europe and NATO have gone along with it. Hungary and Turkey would have absolutely abided by Putin's demands. Finland wasn't, or hasn't been neutral since 1995 when we joined the EU. Military non-alignment had been our preferred option, but our National Defence also included a NATO-OPTION. Putin was about to strip us off of it. Our trust to our neighbor to the East came to a quick stop, and absolutely ended couple months later in 24th of February 2022.
Finland has one over Prussia though by actually being a country and a nice one at that instead of just being the collection of conquered territory of a authoritarian militaristic regime but.
@@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462 Yup, Frederick the Great surely botched everything he had by trying to be the Great military leader he never was.... ..though, it doesn't take away from Prussia that they had the first true conscription based large reservist army.
9:55
I always like remembering that great start to the war...
Simon thank you for the South Park reference to the underpants gnomes!
As I understand it, there is a saying in rally racing that seems applicable here: “If you want to win, bring a Finn.”
Didnt work for Adolf tho..
Nah bring the N word
Very good summary of the Finland situation. One thing that wasn't pointed out, that our conscription system has effect of our GDP. I don't remember the exact numbers, but i think it was around 0.5% of GDP. I think it is not fair to compare the spending between NATO members. Like we have about the same number of OPERATIONAL main battle tanks that German have, was pretty astounding. Our defence was optimized for our defence and it looks like it was pretty spot on what we see in the Ukraine.
I'm from Åland which is an autonomous and demilitarized island that belongs to Finland. Even though the military can't station troops here, we've recently had volunteers go to the mainland to recieve basic military training. It's a pretty historic event considering Åland has been demiltarzied for well over 100 years.
In case of war Russian will occupy Åland in the first couple of hours. We should shut down that Russian consulate in Mariehamn and organize local defensive corps with enough resources to hold a day or two. In case of war that would be enough for troops and equipment to start arriving from the mainland.
I live in Turku and visit Åland quite often and I would definitely give my life in defense of Åland and Ålandians.
@@realtsarbomba They can try. Assuming they make it there first (which they didn't during either conflict in WW2) I wish them luck trying to hold the islands and support their men there logistically.
@@realtsarbomba Finnish, Estonian and polish naval denial systems could probably prevent forces leaving Kaliningrad and saint Petersburg.
@@balticwater This time they'd drop and fly in paratroopers instead of landing troops from the Baltic sea so I'd prefer Ålandians being able to destroy those military transport planes while landing.
But yea...I don't have much faith in russias capabilities either, still it's better safe than sorry.
@@realtsarbomba Hilarious. Again, let them try. Fly their transport aircraft into hostile airspace and try to support their troops with ammunition, fuel and supplies on an island completely within the range of both Finland and Sweden whether by sea or by air.
The same Russia that dropped VDV into the black sea and had tanks run out of fuel 100km from the Russian land border.
They should ideally be capable of defending themselves, yes. It's my unit that would have to conduct a naval landing against hostile forces on Åland if they miraculously through divine intervention succeeded in such an operation, but there's absolutely no point, they couldn't supply their own troops on the islands and they couldn't get enough troops there to actually do anything with it.
An outstanding presenter. Excellent analysis.