By Wang Min and Han Guangshuo
王敏 韩光烁
Recently, the US and Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement to further enhance their cooperation in military, security, and other fields. According to the agreement, Finland will open 15 areas including air bases, naval bases, training areas, and warehouses for use by the US. The move signified that the US-led NATO had tightened its encirclement of Russia again.
近日，美国和芬兰签署防务合作协议，进一步增强两国军事和安全等领域合作。根据该协议，芬兰将开放包括空军基地、海军基地、训练区、仓储区等在内的15个区域供美方使用。此举意味着以美国为首的北约再度收紧对俄罗斯的包围。
For days to come, NATO and Russia will position their frontline strategic game along the border line between Finland and Russia spanning over 1,300 kilometers, further escalating their military confrontation in the Nordic region.
未来，芬兰与俄罗斯之间长达1300多公里的边境线将成为北约和俄罗斯战略博弈的前沿，双方在北欧地区的军事对抗或将进一步升级。
In April 2023, Finland joined NATO as its 31st member state, marking the termination of military non-alignment strategy for the country. Finland occupies a geographically significant position by bordering Russia while establishing a stronghold in the Baltic Sea to the south and gaining entry into the Arctic region to the north.
Finland also has a population of about 5.6 million, standing armed forces comprising 23,000 troops, and the ability to quickly conscript more than 200,000 reservists in case of wars. The Finnish military is proficient in winter combat operations, so the US special operations forces had previously particularly traveled to this country to learn winter special operations skills.
2023年4月，芬兰成为北约第31个成员国，标志着该国军事不结盟的时代彻底结束。芬兰地理位置重要，紧邻俄罗斯，向南扼守波罗的海，向北可进入北极地区。芬兰拥有人口约560万，常备武装部队规模2.3万人，战时还有能力迅速征召超过20万名预备役人员。芬兰军队较为擅长冬季作战，此前美军特种部队曾专程前往芬兰学习冬季特种作战技能。
Finland's overall strength is stronger compared with the three Baltic states. By concluding the defense cooperation agreement with Finland, the US will further strengthen its control over the Nordic region. According to the agreement, the US has access to both the military bases and northern railways of Finland and is allowed to set up ammunition storage facilities along the railways to the border between Finland and Russia. The agreement also involves prepositioning defense equipment and materials on the territory of Finland by US forces, ensuring the security of facilities and areas employed by the US military, and criminal jurisdiction issues.
与波罗的海三国相比，芬兰的综合实力更强。通过与芬兰签署防务合作协议，美国对北欧地区的控制力将进一步增强。根据此次签署的协议，美国不但可以使用芬兰的军事基地，还能够使用芬兰北部的铁路通道，并在通往俄罗斯边境的铁路沿线设置弹药储存设施。这份协议，还涉及美军在芬兰领土上预先部署国防装备和物资、确保美军及其使用的设施和区域的安全性以及刑事司法管辖权等内容。
The defense cooperation agreement between the US and Finland came two weeks after the former signed a similar agreement with Sweden, which granted the US the privilege to use 17 military bases of Sweden. Up to now, the US has concluded defense cooperation agreements with multiple European countries including Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Denmark. These indicate that the US intends to gradually develop the ability to blockade the Baltic Sea to confine the actions of Russian Baltic fleets to the Gulf of Finland when needed. It can be predicted that under the relentless pressure of the NATO-led US, Russia will take measures such as accelerating the establishment of the Leningrad Military District in response.
在与芬兰签署防务合作协议的两周前，美国同瑞典也签署了类似协议，从而让美国可以使用瑞典的17个军事基地。目前，美国已与挪威、爱沙尼亚、拉脱维亚、立陶宛和丹麦等多个欧洲国家签署了防务合作协议。这些迹象表明，美国意在逐步形成对波罗的海进行封锁的能力，以便需要时将俄罗斯波罗的海舰队的行动范围限制在芬兰湾内。可以预见，在以美国为首的北约步步紧逼下，俄罗斯必将采取加速设立列宁格勒军区等措施作为回应。
It is worth noting that the defense cooperation agreement signed by the US and Finland does not include any restrictions on nuclear weapons. The domestic laws of Finland expressly prohibit stockpiling or transporting nuclear weapons within its territory. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen also said that the defense cooperation agreement with the US will ensure compliance with the national laws of Finland.
Nevertheless, there are ongoing concerns within the international community regarding the potential introduction of nuclear weapons in Finland. At present, the nuclear weapons deployed by the US in Europe are mainly concentrated in countries like Germany and the Netherlands, which will dramatically aggravate the nuclear confrontation between NATO and Russia once they are extended to the confines of Finland.
值得关注的是，美国和芬兰此次签署的防务合作协议并未对核武器作出任何限制。芬兰国内法律明确禁止在其境内储存或运输核武器。芬兰国防部长海凯宁也称，芬美防务合作协议将确保遵守芬兰法律。不过，国际社会依然对核武器是否会出现在芬兰抱有担忧。目前，美国在欧洲部署的核武器主要集中在德国、荷兰等国境内，一旦这些核武器推进前移至芬兰境内，北约与俄罗斯的核对抗将急剧升级。
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the signing of the agreement marked “a great milestone” in bilateral relations between the two countries, and “strengthens the security of Nordic and Baltic regions.”
But in fact, Finland was not initially a focal point of geopolitical game until its accession to NATO, at which point the situation in its border regions with Russia underwent a fundamental transformation.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned that “the disputes between Russia and Finland have long been solved and there were no problems there. But now there will be as the West had “dragged” Finland into NATO.”
芬兰外长瓦尔托宁表示，芬美防务合作协议是两国关系的“里程碑”，协议的签署将“增强北欧和波罗的海地区的安全”。然而，从事实上看，芬兰原本并不是地缘博弈的热点，直到加入北约后，芬兰与俄罗斯边界地区的局势才发生根本变化。正如俄罗斯总统普京所说，俄罗斯与芬兰的争端早已得到解决，不曾有任何问题。但随着芬兰被拖入北约，“如今将遇到问题”。
Finland has virtually turned part of its border lines into potential conflict areas by signing the defense cooperation agreement with the US. The US troops deployment in Finland is never meant to protect a country that originally did not require protection but is hidden with underlying strategic intent that may exact huge political and economic costs from Finland.
At present, the game between NATO and Russia around Finland and even the Nordic region is ensnared in a vicious cycle of escalating stakes. What the relevant regions need most now is not foreign intervention or more weapons deployment but to promote a rational stance to effectively de-escalate the situation.
芬兰与美国签署防务合作协议，事实上将自身的国境线变成了潜在的冲突线。而美国派兵驻扎芬兰，也绝不是为了保护一个原本不需要保护的国家，其背后的战略意图或让芬兰付出巨大的政治和经济代价。当前，北约和俄罗斯围绕芬兰乃至北欧地区的博弈正陷于互相加码的恶性循环中。这一地区现在最需要的，不是外来力量的介入或者更多的武器部署，而是以理性姿态推动局势实现真正降温。
