Finland requests $55 million from EU to bolster border with Russia
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Finland is seeking funds from the European Union to enhance its border security with Russia as tensions soar between Moscow and NATO.
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb arrives at the Ukraine peace summit in Obbürgen, Switzerland, on June 15, 2024 (AP)
The Finnish Interior Ministry has formally requested 50 million euros ($55.8 million) from the European Union to enhance its border security with Russia amid increasing warmongering from the block in the face of Russia in light of the ongoing Ukraine war.
"Finland... has requested additional funding of 50 million euros in order to strengthen controls on the eastern border," read a statement from the Finnish government.
The request, submitted through the EU’s Border Management and Visa Policy Instrument, seeks financial support to bolster border infrastructure. The allocated funds are intended for upgrading radio control equipment, improving data transmission systems along the border, and acquiring drones and patrol vehicles to enhance surveillance and operational capacity.
This request comes amid heightened concerns from Russia over NATO's military presence near its western borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry has consistently expressed disapproval of what it sees as the militarization of the region.
Moscow has signaled its willingness to engage in dialogue with NATO, but only under conditions of mutual respect and equality, emphasizing the need for the West to refrain from escalating military activities in Europe.
This is part of a joint bid by six NATO countries to construct a "drone wall" along the Russian border as tensions escalate, especially amid increasing declarations from coalition nations about their intention to deploy forces in Ukraine.
Lithuania's Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite revealed the plan back in May after discussions with Estonia and Latvia, as well as Finland, Norway, and Poland.
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"This is a completely new thing, a drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland, and the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect our borders," Bilotaite told the BNS news agency.
"Not only with physical infrastructure, surveillance systems, but also with drones and other technologies," including anti-drone systems, "which would allow us to protect against provocations from unfriendly countries and to prevent smuggling," she added.
However, no time frame for the plan was provided.
