What is “Finlandisation”?
An unpleasant cold-war arrangement is contemplated for Ukraine
THE CRISIS over Ukraine has pushed desperate officials in Western capitals to seek a diplomatic way to avert a Russian invasion. On his way to a meeting with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, Emmanuel Macron, his French counterpart, was asked about one possible solution: “Finlandisation”, a reference to Finland’s officially neutral status during the cold war. It was “one model on the table”, acknowledged Mr Macron, but he insisted diplomats would have to invent something new. The news sparked anger in Ukraine and also in Finland, where the experience is not remembered fondly. How did “Finlandisation” work in practice, and how might a similar status be applied to Ukraine?
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