Russian attack Why did Russia invade Ukraine, and how will it affect Finland? HS gathered answers to key questions

Thursday morning the world awoke in an unbelievable mood when the Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a military operation in Ukraine. The day was probably just seen as an overture to what is yet to come.

The uncertainty caused by the attack has raised many questions that politicians and experts have tried to answer: Why did this happen? Is there a threat to Finland? How are Russia going to be punished?

HS compiled answers to key questions.

Why did Russia decide to invade Ukraine?

Reasons There are several, both psychological and geopolitical.

Russia itself has stated that it is “demilitarizing” Ukraine, meaning it is trying to defeat the country’s defense capabilities. In this way, Russia is trying to subjugate Ukraine and agree to the conditions it dictates.

Russia feels that Ukraine has slipped out of control as the country has moved closer to the West. Also Putin himself referred to this development in a speech in which he acknowledged the independence of the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.

According to Putin, Ukraine was never an independent state and Russia will only unite its brother nations. The purpose of the speech was to create a “justification” for Russia’s desire to take back Kiev.

On the other hand, Putin began his war rhetoric as early as 15 years ago in 2007 at the Munich Security Conference, where he said the United States had created a unipolar world with the help of NATO.

Read more: Vladimir Putin has been building legitimacy for his war for fifteen years, rhetoric began in Munich in 2007

How is Finland helping Ukraine?

Finland has admitted Additional aid of EUR 4 million for Ukraine, of which EUR 3 million for development cooperation and EUR 1 million for humanitarian aid. Prime minister Sanna Marin (sd) said on Thursday that the Ministry of the Interior is also preparing for the need for Finland to receive refugees from Ukraine.

The United States and many European countries have exported arms and military equipment to Ukraine. In Finland, arms exports to Ukraine have also been discussed in recent days, but the Finnish government’s program states that arms will not be delivered to conflict areas. According to President Niinistö, when it comes to arms exports, one should consider whether Finland has “very much extra”.

Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen According to (Central), the Netherlands intends to request material assistance from Finland, which could be delivered to Ukraine. According to Kaikkonen, Finland can process the request as soon as it arrives.

Which of Ukraine’s neighboring countries belong to NATO and what is the significance of this?

Ukraine does not belong to NATO. Its neighboring members are Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. Eastern European members also include Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

NATO also includes Bulgaria and Turkey on the Black Sea coast, which have expressed support for Ukraine in the fighting. Russia, for its part, has effectively besieged the Black Sea region with the occupation of eastern Ukraine, Crimea and Transnistria.

Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that NATO has begun to activate rapid reaction forcesbut their export to Ukraine is not planned.

The number of NATO troops at European bases has remained relatively modest, although more and more have arrived in recent months. The map graph below shows the strength of NATO forces in Europe in mid-February.

Is Finland threatened by war?

President Sauli Niinistö and Minister of Defense Kaikkonen have emphasized that Finland is not currently facing an immediate military threat. According to the President, the situation in the Baltic Sea also seems calm. However, Finland will continue to monitor and prepare for the situation.

The Finnish Defense Forces have stepped up their readiness this year, but according to Kaikkonen, raising the military readiness has not yet been discussed with the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy. Last week, the Defense Forces also raised their internal security level.

Read more: Russia now has to be vigilant, says President Niinistö: “Fear is difficult to dispel”

Read more: Former Commander of the Defense Forces Jarmo Lindberg to Aamulehti: It would be good if Finland joined NATO

How will the Russian attack affect the price of everyday life and, for example, petrol in Finland?

Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (vihr) estimates on Thursday that the war may also have an impact on Finland’s security of supply. Reflections may occur, for example, in agriculture in those sectors where a large number of Ukrainian seasonal workers work.

The effects of the disruption of natural gas, electricity and oil supplies from Russia would remain in Finland likely to be minor. For example, there is a quantity of fuel in emergency stocks that corresponds to the need for about six months. The rise in the price of crude oil, in turn, could raise the price of petrol.

About one-tenth of Finland’s electricity comes from Russia, but if necessary, imports could be replaced by either own production or other imports.

In addition, the Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä (Central) at a parliamentary question on Thursday signaled its readiness to halt Fennovoima’s nuclear power project. The plant supplier for the nuclear power plant is Raos Project, part of the Russian state’s Rosatom Group.

Read more: Minister Lintilä at Question Time at Fennovoima’s nuclear power plant: “I do not see a prospect that I could present it to the Government”

Read more: CEO of Fortum-owned Uniper: The situation in Ukraine causes “deep unrest”, the company faces a wide range of risks in Russia

What impact will the attack have on the economy, such as stock prices?

Sodan after ignition A total stock market crash was seen in Moscow in the morning and the ruble depreciated sharply. Instead, the prices of the dollar, gold and oil will rise as investors seek security from them.

The Finnish economy suffers more from Russia’s hostilities than the rest of the eurozone, as Finland has extensive economic relations with Russia. OP’s chief economist Reijo Heiskanen estimates that Finland may enter a slight recession if foreign trade becomes significantly more difficult and the euro area economy suffers from higher energy prices.

Read more: World stock markets plunge: the biggest collapse in history in Moscow, a sharp decline in Helsinki, the United States opened the decline – graphics show dramatic movements in capital

How has Russia been punished for the attack?

Other The United States, the European Union and Britain, among others, have blocked Russian government funding from Europe and the United States. The impact of such sanctions on the Russian economy however, it is estimated to be small.

The EU has issued sanctions against, among others, Russian politicians, the military leadership and individuals in Putin’s immediate circle. Germany has also announced the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

The most drastic way would be to separate Russia from the international Swift payment system or otherwise restrict banks’ cooperation with Russian companies and communities. The United States has also considered restricting technology exports and sanctioning Putin himself.

Read more: Ukraine demands the exclusion of Russia from international payments – This would affect one of the toughest economic sanctions

Read more: EU issues sanctions against Russia: List includes several ministers, military leadership and “troll factory”

Will other countries start a war against Russia?

This the aim is to avoid this by first using economic sanctions. Russia, on the other hand, may try to take advantage of this and keep the conflict at a level that will not trigger military retaliation from the West. That is why the West is now under pressure to impose its most significant sanctions and is waiting for a reaction from Russia.