Vitalii Rishko, TDC’s Visiting Researcher, was invited to address the TVP World news channel. Alongside Mr Olevs Nikers, President of the Baltic Security Foundation, he discussed regional security, the post-NATO accession scenario of the Russia-Finland border, and potential instability between Russia and a new NATO member. Despite the mounting threats and Moscow’s escalating rhetoric, the Finnish foreign minister’s account highlights an intriguing observation: Russian troop presence is notably scarce in the region.
During his address, Mr Rishko emphasized Russia’s withdrawal of forces from various strategic areas, including Finland and the Russian-Chinese borders, and the withdrawal of “peacekeepers” from Nagorno-Karabakh. He proceeded to emphasize that the situation along the Finnish border underscores the Kremlin’s inability to sustain its aggressive campaign against Ukraine due to significant manpower losses. That is why Russia has to pull out its soldiers from different parts of the country to cover the war casualties.
The interview also brought to light Russia’s stance on NATO enlargement, which, when analyzed, underscores the Kremlin’s reluctance to renounce its existing spheres of influence. This apprehension stems from the understanding that such a loss could compromise Russia’s standing as a great power, a status which is genuinely essential for Kremlin.
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