This is CBSI in the world with the Anatolyven of the Quincy Institute for Responsible

Statecraft, just returned from Ukraine.

He's in the United Kingdom and we look to Finland.

The headlight in the financial times adds the twist.

Russia warns Finland's NATO membership risks escalating conflict.

Vladimir Putin himself pointing to this and other voices in Moscow.

Why Finland upsets Moscow so profoundly, Anatolyven?

Is the history of the Finnish war?

Is everybody thinking of 1939-1940?

Oh, well, I mean from Russia's point of view, rather more 1941 to 1944, in which the

Finns very understandably, of course, sided with the Germans.

And you know, the blockade of Leningrad, now once again St. Petersburg, in which more than

three quarters of a million Russian civilians died of starvation.

I mean, the southern part of the blockade was created by the Germans.

The northern part of the blockade was created by the Finns, with of course German support.

And Finland in NATO creates a huge new NATO border with Russia, extending all the way

up into the Arctic, bringing NATO closer to the Russian naval base of Muremansk.

In principle, threatening huge new areas of Russia.

Now that said, Russia in general has, and Russia is also deeply, I think, offended by this

Finnish move, because since the 1950s, Russia has never threatened Finland.

And in fact, Russia gave up a base, which it had been, which it had leased, as a result

of the treaty with Finland off the Second World War.

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