A Word of Warning to NATO from Finland

Finland isn't impressed with NATO's anti-Moscow attitude.  President Sauli Niinisto will be taking that message to a conference in Helsinki on Thursday with David Cameron and the leaders of the Nordic and Baltic nations.

Niinisto says NATO is backing into a new Cold War with Russia.  He criticized the West for a continuing failure to "grasp the depth and seriousness of Putin's grievances with the US and the EU."

"We are in the position in the West of asking what is Putin up to.  Putin keeps saying the West and Nato are hostile. [He says] they have deceived Russia with Nato enlargement and they are undermining and humiliating Russia.

"So this is a situation that is not promising.  I have said we are almost at the gates of a new kind of cold war" that could suck in all of Europe. 

Niinisto says Finns are worried that, if their country becomes a full member of NATO, the country's 1,300 km. border with Russia would double the frontier along which Russia faces the hostile alliance.

NATO's New Legion - Is Canada In?

NATO is organizing a 10,000 strong "expeditionary force" with an eye clearly on the Ukraine.

The aim is to create a fully functioning, division-sized force for rapid deployment and regular, frequent exercises. Officials involved in the planning say it will have the capacity to increase significantly in size.

The force will incorporate air and naval units as well as ground troops and will be led by British commanders, with other participating nations contributing a range of specialist troops and units. Countries involved at present include Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Norway and the Netherlands. Canada has also expressed an interest in taking part.

The Financial Times also reports that Sweden and Finland may soon enter the NATO alliance.