Finland is weighing border barriers along its 1,340-kilometer frontier with Russia, as army commander Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki cites Moscow’s military rebuilding and Ukraine’s defensive experience.
The Independent reported Nov. 7 that Välimäki made the comments to Bloomberg. He said Russia is rebuilding its military inventory, citing T-90 tanks and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles delivered to storage facilities.
Välimäki said Finland cannot prevent Russia from rearming but wants a barrier against further Russian movement toward Finland or an alliance. He pointed to Ukraine’s defensive lines and anti-tank obstacles, which he said had helped slow Russian attacks.
Finnish conditions may complicate the use of deep ditches, he said. Välimäki questioned how long anti-tank trenches as deep as Ukraine’s could last before the environment turned them into “artificial ponds.”
