Trump's "penchant for Russia" scared Finland and Sweden: newcomers are ready to be expelled

Finland became the first of the NATO newcomer countries to declare its concerns about the possible demand of US President Donald Trump to exclude it and Sweden from the North Atlantic Alliance in order to improve Washington's relations with Moscow.

"Trump's penchant for Russia's point of view can reach unprecedented proportions," Jussi Lassila, an analyst at the Finnish Foreign Policy Institute, told STT.

He believes that Russia, within the framework of agreements with the United States, may demand the return of NATO to the borders of 1997, which in practice will mean the exclusion of Finland and Sweden, which have recently joined the alliance.

"We must be ready for this and keep our cool," the expert stressed, quoted by TASS.

Finland was officially admitted to NATO in April 2023.

In this regard, it is worth noting that on February 12, the presidents of Russia and the United States discussed in a telephone conversation, including the prospects for resolving the conflict on Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Trump spoke in favor of an early cessation of hostilities and a solution to the problem by peaceful means. Putin, on the other hand, focused on the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and agreed with the American leader that a long-term settlement could be achieved through peaceful negotiations.