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We Visited Europe's New Frontline (Finland, Poland & Estonia)

The Washington Times

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John Seward travels through Finland, Estonia and Poland to examine how America’s allies are preparing, what they contribute to NATO and why the security of Europe’s eastern edge matters to the United States and in the war with Russia. He sits down with a foreign affairs minister, multiple defense ministers, an intelligence chief, a coast guard captain and border patrol officers across three countries to hear how they see the threat — and how they see the U.S.

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00:00 – NATO’s eastern flank under pressure
01:09 – Finland’s role in NATO
03:30 – Helsinki’s underground defense network
04:40 – Hybrid warfare in the Gulf of Finland
05:54 – Finland’s military readiness and defense spending
08:26 – Estonia’s tense border with Russia
10:47 – Poland’s front line with Belarus
12:34 – Russian drone attacks near NATO territory
13:12 – Washington rethinks America’s role in NATO
13:59 – Preparing for the next phase

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20 Comments

@washingtontimes Creator 2 months ago (edited) Pinned

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@Serpentiis 2 months ago

As a finn, i would strongly agree with even more co-operation with Poland and also the Baltic countries. And not only in military aspect.

@Thor.H.Jørgensen 2 months ago

Finland is greatly underappreciated, so I'll say it.
Thank you so much for all of your hard work, Finland. We owe you lifelong dedication and friendship.
Regards, from Denmark

@sgebert 2 months ago (edited)

There's this great joke in Poland about the finnish-soviet winter war. So the soviets are marching into Finland in full force, tanks, planes, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the full might. The column is on its way when they hear someone screaming at the top of their lungs from across a hill "One Finnish soldier is worth a 1000 Soviet soldiers!". The Soviets send in a force of 1,000 to investigate. Shots are heard, and then dead silence, even on the radio. So they send in another group, this time 2,000 soldiers. Again, shots are heard, and moments later a single wounded ork is seen running in absolute panic screaming: "IT'S A TRAP, THERE'S TWO OF THEM!!!!!"

@N1originalgazza 2 months ago (edited)

Minister Valtonen made a very realistic analysis!
Well done Finland!
All Europe should follow Poland's approach to border control.

@jagosevatarion3339 2 months ago

As a Pole, it is an honor for me to call the Baltic and Nordic countries our allies. Finland is an amazing case—you know your land like no one else. No one can match you in winter warfare.

@pexster1988 1 month ago

Thank you Poles! We are together keeping Europe safe! Love from Finlamd! 🦁

@kymensotaveteraanit 1 month ago

The legacy of Finnish war veterans is very much alive in Finland. Our warhistory channel has MANY interviews of the humble Finnish heroes of 1939-1945 wars. We are forever grateful.

@Peteole-g7f 2 months ago

Poland was preparing since the Berlin wall fell everyone else was late to the party (Except Finland) :face-purple-crying:

@Heater-v1.0.0 2 months ago

Pretty much every guy I know in Finland as done their years worth of military service. Many of them more than that. Ever since I have been here, 30 years, I have found discussion of WWII,, the Winter War and others is very common. The awareness of the threat is there all the time but hardly noticeable to the casual visitor. Modern apartment blocks all have bomb proof cellars, for example, but you would hardly guess as they are used for storage.

@JanOlavVestavik 2 months ago

Th kola penisula is surveiled by Finland yes, but also Norway. And the traffic and movement of ships and submarines in and out of the Atlantic is surveiled by Norway, since Finland does not have a sea connection in the north. That was taken by the russian as war retribution in 1944.

@Hairysteed 1 month ago

2:10 "...Finland's standing army is one of the largest in Europe..."
Nononono! The standing army is very small, and their main role is mostly just to train the conscripts to become reservists.
It's the reserves who are called into service in event of a crisis. They provide the main body of manpower of the Finnish Defence Forces.

@RobertDunal-x5s 11 days ago

Pozdrowienia z Polski dla Finlandii❤

@helmiulpukkap5594 2 months ago (edited)

I came back home yesterday from my motorcycle road trip to the Eastern lake and border district in Finland. To the area of very close to Finnish-Russian border. I did not see any signs of any threat or fear. Peaceful locals and tourists only. I noted only couple of army helicopters and fighter jet overflights. But nothing exceptional. Not even military personnel anywhere. People seemed to be relaxed and happy. But I also know that the defence system is eyes open and ready to operate within a very short notice. BTW, I drove 1100 km, whereoff ~500 km in the area.

@labondek78 1 month ago

Si vis pacem, para bellum

@juhokuusisto9339 2 months ago

Nice reporting, when in the first two minutes you go totally into the forest. Finland's standing army is around 30k. The Bundeswehr is around 180k. Standing army does not include reserves, what most of the FDF is.