Putin Warns of Problems With Finland in Future, Blames West for ‘Dragging’ Them Into NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of potential problems with Finland going forward after the northern European country strengthened ties with the United States and effectively closed its border with Russia. Finland’s government accused Russia of pushing asylum seekers across the border and closed all but one crossing last month. A defense agreement between the U.S. military and Finland is also expected to be signed at the start of this week, further increasing tensions in the region. During a Dec. 17 interview on the government owned Rossiya state TV, the long-time president of Russia laid the blame for any issues with Finland squarely on the West, which he says “dragged Finland into NATO” following the invasion of Ukraine. In April, Finland became the 31st nation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)....