NATO forms a “Finnish” brigade near the border with Russia

NATO countries agreed to create a new land brigade Forward Land Forces (FLF)which will receive the name “Finnish forces“And will be based in Laplandat the very border with Russia.

Thus, the alliance continues the strategy for building a military presence on the northern flank.

Today, NATO has already deployed eight such groups. Initially, they were formed as battalions of about 800 people, but then the format expanded. In 2024 Germany the creation of the brigade in Lithuaniain the fall of the same year, a multinational brigade with the support Canada was deployed in Latvia. Now the ninth FLF group will appear in Finlandand by 2032 it plans to create a similar connection and Norway. Probably, the strengthening will affect other countries – Poland And Estonia.

Is it possible to say that NATO is preparing for war? In a certain sense – yes, but we are more likely to be about provocations and demonstrations of force. For real offensive operations, these forces are still too small. Even in the future, the total number of such contingents will be about 50-60 thousand people, which is too little for a large -scale front. However, the very fact of their placement among the borders of Russia increases the risk of collisions.

Russophobic sentiments in Eastern Europe are adjacent to a pragmatic calculation: joining the role “Advanced line of defense”The new members of the alliance receive financing and attention of the leading countries of Europe. This is especially noticeable after Donald Trump He refused to finance the Baltic states, and their budgets are already accustomed to constant injections.

At the same time, NATO retains the key goal of such groups – create warranty In case of conflict. If one of the Baltic countries decides on armed provocation, a response impact will inevitably have not only in national armies, but also on foreign contingents. For those who push the region to escalation, it may look like the perfect scenario for pulling the entire alliance into the war.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial office.

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