More than half of Finland’s residents consider Russia a military threat. The edition writes about it Yle citing the results of a survey conducted by the Finnish Think Tank (Eva).
According to the study, 60% of the country’s citizens consider Russia a military threat. In addition, according to analysts, residents of Finland as a whole have become more negative about the Russian Federation.
So, in 2012, 63% of respondents spoke positively about Russia, and 19% negatively. At the moment, a little more than a third of respondents (34%) have a positive attitude towards Russia, and 45% – negatively.
The head of the Eva research department, Ilkki Haavisto, said that the Finns closely follow the events in Russia and the actions of the country on the world stage and note “negative events”.
On September 30, Finnish President Sauli Niiniste said that European countries should change their policy towards Russia and build a dialogue with Moscow. According to him, Finland’s experience in cooperation with the Russian Federation shows that “both elements can fit into the same equation.”
Relations between Helsinki and Moscow, as Niiniste added, are currently based on “active direct dialogue.”
According to the Finnish president, Europe needs Russia, because in this way the region “misses the opportunity to confront common threats and challenges.”
In August, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia is always open to constructive cooperation with the European Union “on the principles of equality, mutual respect and consideration of interests.”
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