Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on February 2 that Finland has irrevocably lost its status as an “honest broker” in international affairs following its NATO accession in 2023.
In a press conference recorded on the official website of the Russian Government, Lavrov said: “With Finland’s accession to NATO in 2023 and the accelerated development of the territory of this country by the forces of the military bloc, the former status of an ‘honest broker’ in international affairs by the Finns, in our opinion, has been irretrievably lost.”
He further added that Finland has become one of Russia’s “most implacable opponents,” promoting an anti-Russian ideological policy. Lavrov elaborated: “We are talking about the anti-Russian ideological charge that has permeated almost all strata of Finnish society, the total shortsightedness of the military and political leadership in Helsinki regarding national interests in favor of following the Russophobic line of the so-called collective West.”
The Russian foreign minister also noted Finland is building border fortifications to “isolate” itself from Russia. Lavrov stated that due to these developments, Russia no longer considers Finland a mediator in any future negotiation processes unless Finnish authorities alter their country’s policy.
