Russia Halts Finland’s Gas Supply Two Days After Applying to NATO
Precisely a week after Russia cut electricity supplies to Finland over non-payment (in rubles), Moscow has made its first explicitly retaliatory move over its Nordic neighbor’s application to NATO with an announcement to cut off natural gas.
Finland’s state-owned gas wholesaler Gasum has announced natural gas imports from Russia will stop Saturday (May 21), saying in a statement, “On the afternoon of Friday May 20, Gazprom Export informed Gasum that natural gas supplies to Finland under Gasum’s supply contract will be cut on Saturday May 21, 2022 at 07.00.”
Company CEO Mika Wiljanen stressed to the public it is adequately prepared “and provided that there will be no disruptions in the gas transmission network, we will be able to supply all our customers with gas in the coming months.”
Finland Says It Won’t Host Nuclear Weapons or NATO Bases
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Thursday (May 19) that Helsinki is opposed to NATO deploying nuclear weapons or establishing bases inside Finland if it joins the military alliance.
Marin said she didn’t think there was much interest in NATO for nuclear deployments or permanent bases inside Finland. “Nor do I think there is any interest in deploying nuclear weapons or opening NATO bases in Finland,” she said.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has also said Sweden doesn’t plan on hosting NATO nuclear weapons or bases.
While the US, Britain, and France are the only NATO members with their own nuclear stockpiles, US nuclear weapons are deployed in other NATO states under a nuclear-sharing agreement. Under the agreement, there are US nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
