Finland closely following situation in Russia after Putin’s mobilization order: Defense chief

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Finland is closely monitoring the situation in neighboring Russia after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial military mobilization, the Finnish defense minister said on Wednesday.

"I can say that the military situation is stable and calm. Our defense forces are well prepared and the situation is closely monitored," Antti Kaikkonen said at a press conference.

He said that the partial mobilization announced by Putin "did not come as a surprise.”

Earlier, Putin announced a partial mobilization of reservists in Russia, calling up 300,000 reservists to join the army.

He also vowed to use “all means at its disposal” if Russia’s territorial integrity is in danger, which was widely interpreted as a nuclear warning to the West.

Kaikkonen said: "The military situation in the vicinity of Finland is calm. There is no immediate threat in the area. The Finns can rely on the armed forces and the authorities."

He said that Finland will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine.

However, he said many countries have already given a lot and that there is a question of how much help can Finland offer without harming its own defense capacity.

Kaikkonen warned that Ukraine will need assistance for a very long time.

“There are different EU initiatives on the table, hopefully, they will be able to move forward soon. There is a strong will within the EU to show support for Ukraine in the future as well," he said.

The defense minister suggested that stricter visa rules for Russian citizens should be implemented. However, he added that matters regarding visas belong to the Foreign Ministry.

Putin’s partial mobilization decision shows that Russia is having difficulty in reaching its goals in Ukraine, Kaikkonen said.