Finlandization’s Harsh Realities, with Antti Ruokonen

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4.7 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2022

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

Finlandization is a troubled concept. It is generally used to describe the attempt by the Soviet Union during the Cold War to hold Finland in a position of neutrality and friendliness toward the Soviet Union, even while politically, Finland was more aligned with the West. In recent years—before the Russian invasion of Ukraine—it was sometimes brought up as a model for Ukraine to straddle the boundary between east and west. But for Finns, Finlandization meant something quite dark—the long-term subjugation of Finland's politics to the will of an authoritarian neighbor.

David Priess sat down with Antti Ruokonen, who wrote an article recently for Lawfare titled, “Why Finlandization is a Terrible Model for Ukraine.” They spoke about Finland's experience in the second World War, the imposed restrictions on its sovereignty because of this Finlandization during the Cold War, and the dangers of seeing Finlandization as a model for peaceful coexistence with Russia.

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0:00.0	The following podcast contains advertising to access an ad-free version of the LawFair
0:07.2	podcast become a material supporter of LawFair at patreon.com slash LawFair.
0:14.7	That's patreon.com slash LawFair.
0:18.2	Also, check out LawFair's other podcast offerings, rational security, chatter, LawFair
0:25.6	no bull and the aftermath.
0:55.6	If you count in a Soviet control commission, you count in the Finnish Communists, you
1:16.6	count in a state police that's more than welcome to do their bidding, then you have an
1:24.9	equation that's very uncomfortable to a great deal of things.
1:32.4	I'm David Priest, publisher of LawFair and this is the LawFair podcast for April 27,
1:38.4	2022.
1:40.5	Finlandization is a troubled concept.
1:43.4	It is generally used to describe the attempt by the Soviet Union during the Cold War to
1:48.4	hold Finland in a position of neutrality and friendliness toward the Soviet Union even
1:54.3	while politically Finland was more aligned with the West.
1:59.1	In recent years, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was sometimes brought up as
2:03.7	a model for Ukraine to straddle the boundary between East and West.
2:08.4	But for Finns, Finlandization meant something quite dark, the long term subjugation of Finland's
2:14.2	politics to the will of an authoritarian neighbor.
2:18.5	I sat down in the virtual jungle studio with Auntie Ruokunin, who wrote an article recently
2:23.8	for LawFair titled, Why Finlandization is a Terrible Model for Ukraine.
2:30.0	We spoke about Finland's experience in the Second World War, the imposed restrictions
2:34.2	on its sovereignty because of this Finlandization during the Cold War, and the dangers of seeing
	...

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