Russia continues to pose a serious threat to European Union countries, particularly Finland. The potential end of the Russia-Ukraine war could allow Russia to redirect additional forces to engage in subversive activities in other countries, as the Kremlin seeks to achieve its political goals by any means, according to the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) National Security Review.
Recently, Russia has increasingly resorted to covert operations in Europe, attempting to influence public opinion and create a sense of insecurity in Western countries. Russia's main objective at the moment is to halt support for Ukraine. The Kremlin also seeks to demonstrate its ability to act in the West and create new negotiation positions that could be used in the future.
According to Supo, Finland has not yet been at the center of intensive Russian intelligence operations, which are primarily focused on large EU countries with significant Russian minorities or influential pro-Russian political parties. However, this could change if resources currently engaged in the aggression against Ukraine are freed up.
"Although the objectives of these operations no longer hold the same strategic importance, their impact has grown, and the Western intelligence community has a very unanimous view of the increasing threat from Russia," emphasizes Supo director Juha Martelius. In his opinion, Finland, as a country bordering Russia and located in the Baltic Sea, should be prepared for the growing Russian influence in the near future.
