“Russia is the nightmare of the Finns: bunkers and training camps” – Foreign

“There is a Finnish saying that goes like this: ‘A Russian is always a Russian, even if you fry him in butter’. In short, noble fat”. Nicola Rainò, 68, translator for Iperborea and director of the online magazine rondine.fin, knows the relationship between Finns and Russians well. “Convenience reports” Rainò cuts short. Russia for the Finns: a ‘monster’ who has always remained outside the door or a neighbor with whom, after 78 years, relations have improved? “It’s a long story, but since 1917, the year of Finland’s independence from Russia, it has been a back and forth of mediation and compromise. After the Second World War, Finland’s winning strategy was to transform the damage of war into business, after having repaid (a single country) all the debts to Russia with supplies of all kinds (from industrial, to technological to food). Then, for years, the Finns have sold everything to their neighbors, creating a flywheel of But the choice of looking to the West and getting supplies of weapons was long ago made. And in February, to give an idea, Finland bought 64 Jet F35s, for 9.4 billion dollars. entry into NATO is now done and 76% of Finns today are in favor “. Russia threatens: stop gas to Finland. Putin’s other war But is there nothing that unites the two peoples along the 1,300-kilometer border? “The Russians bring money, the Finns are very skilled traders. The Russians are in desperate need of objects, fashion, technology, to eat well, and they come from here. Many also come for summer holidays. The territory is the same, but in Finland find clean water, infrastructure, health centers, shops and life organizations that are not in Russia “. And what do the Finns think of the Russians? “We Italians, in …