Kremlin warns of consequences if Poland sends troops close to Russian border

Điện Kremin cảnh báo hậu quả nếu Ba Lan đưa quân đến sát biên giới Nga - 1 — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Photo: TASS).

Reuters reported that the head of Poland's National Security Agency, Jacek Siewiera, posted on his social media account X late on November 28 that Poland would send military advisers to Finland, a NATO ally, in response to "an official request for assistance as the Finnish border faces the risk of a hybrid attack."

“A team of military advisors will provide on-the-ground knowledge on border security, as well as on the operational side,” Mr. Siewiera said.

Responding to this information, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "There is no conflict, no one or nothing threatens Finland. In this case, this is definitely an excessive measure to ensure border security because there is no threat there and in fact there is no tension."

Mr. Peskov called the idea of concentrating Polish military forces on the Finland-Russia border "unprovoked and groundless".

"The concentration of forces could lead to tensions. The Finns should be well aware that for us this would pose a threat," he warned.

However, the Finnish Border Guard Agency and the Ministry of the Interior said on November 28 that they had no information about Poland's intention to send military advisers to the Finnish-Russian border. The Finnish Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not commented.

President Sauli Niinisto held talks with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Warsaw last week but they did not discuss military cooperation on Finland's border with Russia, the Finnish President's office said.

Finland angered Russia earlier this year when it joined NATO, ending decades of neutrality and military non-alignment over the conflict in Ukraine.

Relations between the two countries have recently become more tense. The Finnish government announced on November 28 that it would close its eighth and final border crossing with Russia to deal with a wave of illegal immigration through the Russian border. This means that only goods will be allowed to pass between the two countries.

Russia has denied Finland's accusations and insisted that its border guards only allow people to pass through legally. Moscow believes that Helsinki is not willing to reach a solution through diplomatic channels on the migration issue and violates the rights and interests of Finns and Russians.

Finland has a 1,340 km border with Russia. Since April, Finland has started building a steel mesh security fence, equipped with a surveillance system, on the border with Russia. According to the plan, by the end of 2026, Finland will have built about 200 km of fence in important areas along the border between the two countries.

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