Until recently, the “Finlandization” narrative was actively promoted as an alternative to the Euro-Atlantic perspective of Ukraine, which could satisfy the Russian Federation and prevent the escalation of tensions.. However, Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine changed everything.. Ivan Gisem and Maxim Yakovlev in the article \? ” talk about the phenomenon of “Finlandization” and what Finnish scientists think about it. In particular, according to experts, there has never been real friendship between the USSR and Finland..

Professor of International Relations, Director of the Helsinki Collegium for Progressive Studies Tuomas Forsberg characterizes "

In his opinion, Finland tried to be a friend and not provoke an opponent. According to the scientist, although such a policy never had support in Finnish society, however, after the end of the Second World War, it was perceived by the political elite of Finland as the key to maintaining sovereignty and preventing large territorial losses.. At the same time, Forsberg points out that the "

A similar assessment is shared by Associate Professor Director of the University of Helsinki Katri Pyunnyoniemi, pointing out that there was never a real friendship between the USSR and Finland, and relations were purely business in nature..

However, the analyst notes, during the global confrontation between the USSR and the USA, there was much more respect for international law than now.

According to Tuomas Forsberg, the policy of "

At the same time, the Finns rejected such a policy several times, taking advantage of the window of opportunity, for example, when Finland joined the EU in 1995 (together with Sweden), and in 2022 they expressed their desire to join NATO (also together with Sweden).

Tapio Huntunen, a lecturer at the University of Tampere and a specialist in international relations, also believes that the policy of "

In particular, the expert rightly points out that during the Cold War, Finland was in the interests of the Soviet Union through the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.. Huntunen notes that the concept of "

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Previously, experts explained what the phenomenon of “Finlandization” could mean in relation to Ukraine. In particular, in their opinion, the policy of "