Overview

• Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, he said Russia previously kept no troops along the sector bordering Finland but will now station forces there.
• He stated the frontier with NATO has expanded and that Russia must create a separate military district to address it.
• He argued Russia had no issues with Finland or Sweden before their accession, pointing to routine ruble payments in Helsinki, Russian-language signage, and tourism-driven hiring.
• He asserted that World War II treaties resolved Russia’s questions with Finland.
• He said Finland and Sweden forfeited the advantages of neutrality by entering NATO and called their decision “stupid.”