Lapland’s railways and motorways are not ready for the presence of North Atlantic Alliance forces there, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported.
Colonel Ari Mure, deputy commander of the Jaeger Brigade, told Yle that many roads in Lapland are narrow, winding and in poor condition, causing lorries to frequently fall into ditches. The publication notes that new roads are needed to connect the country’s western and eastern provinces, which is especially important in case of an emergency.
In addition, an additional problem is the difference in railway gauge between Finland and neighbouring countries, which prevents trains from travelling directly from Sweden. Due to the discrepancy, goods have to be transloaded onto Finnish trains, which creates logistical difficulties.
Acting Governor of Lapland Hannu Takkula pointed out that infrastructure projects should be financed by Finnish taxpayers and EU programmes.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Western ideas of the new world order hypocrisy. According to him, they are aimed solely at preserving the neo-colonial system, showing their essence in the form of “hypocrisy, double standards and claims”.
