Over the past few weeks, the official Russian noise machine has been operating at full capacity when it comes to Finland. From the marble halls of the Kremlin to Maria Zakharova’s Telegram channel and Dmitry Medvedev’s unhinged social media rants, Moscow’s official narrative on Finland, Finnish people, and our state leadership has reached a predictable—yet revealing—fever pitch.

If you listen to official Russia, Finland has transformed overnight from a “peaceful neighbor” into a hostile, warmongering outpost of NATO. But behind the theatrical outrage lies a calculated hybrid strategy: an attempt to intimidate the Finnish public, undermine our leadership, and fracture national unity.
The Latest Kremlin Narratives: Victim Blaming at Scale
Moscow’s recent statements regarding Finnish state leadership—most notably President Alexander Stubb and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo—follow a rigid script of inverted reality. Here are some of the most glaring recent examples from official Russian channels:
- The Nuclear Boogeyman: Following Finnish discussions and legal clarifications regarding NATO nuclear policy alignment, Dmitry Medvedev placed Finland squarely on Russia’s “nuclear target list.” Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned of inevitable “military-technical responses,” claiming Finland is turning its territory into a launching pad for Western aggression.
- The “Destroyed Neighborliness” Narrative: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and the Russian Foreign Ministry repeatedly claim that Finnish leadership “destroyed decades of mutually beneficial relations.” According to Moscow, Finland’s decision to secure its eastern border and join NATO was an unprovoked, self-destructive blunder forced upon us by Washington.
- Depicting Finns as Passive Pawns: Official Russian state media and diplomatic channels continuously push the narrative that regular Finns are victims of their own “irresponsible leaders.” Moscow paints a fantasy picture where Finnish citizens are secretly longing for a return to the YYA (co-operation, friendliness, helping agreement) era, while our government acts as a subservient vassal of the Atlantic alliance. So in essence Kreml hopes for UNO reverse card.
The underlying interpretation from Moscow is absurd: when Finland takes defensive steps to protect its sovereignty after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is labeled a “provocation.” When Russia militarizes our border and uses weaponized migration, it is framed as “defending Russian security.”
The Real Goal: Psychological Warfare and Domestic Manipulation
We must see these statements for what they truly are. Moscow does not expect President Stubb or the Finnish Defense Forces to fold because Medvedev rattled a saber. These statements are not aimed at changing Finnish military policy; they are designed to influence domestic debate within Finland. My generation, and especially that of our parents, grew up with the Soviet Union as a fact of life. The shadow of Moscow was not theoretical. The YYA Treaty was part of the architecture of Finnish foreign policy, and “do not provoke Moscow unnecessarily” became a political reflex. That reflex was once rational. The problem is that psychological reflexes can survive long after the strategic circumstances that created them have disappeared. Official Kreml is hoping that Older Finns forget that Soviet Union was a Great Power, Modern Russia is a apart from nuclear arsenal barely a power.
This “reminding without actually reminding” comes remarkably close to what Russian strategic literature calls “reflexive control”: shaping an adversary’s perception of the situation so that he voluntarily chooses the response the initiator wants.
The Kremlin’s information operations aim to plant seeds of doubt:
- Fear: Injecting anxiety about nuclear escalation to make people question defensive decisions.
- Guilt: Framing Finland as the party responsible for the breakdown in bilateral relations.
- Division: Creating friction between the public and state leadership. and of course within the public.
The Naïve Fools and Academic “Useful Idiots”
This hybrid strategy would be laughable if it didn’t find fertile ground among certain leftist circles at home. Unfortunately, Finland still suffers from a persistent layer of “useful idiots” and naïve fools—most notably within academia, political commentary, and among legacy YYA-era politicians who never quite purged the Soviet-era reflex of deference.
These individuals—often masked in the vocabulary of “peace activism,” “diplomatic realism,” or “historical nuance”—continue to echo Kremlin talking points almost verbatim. When Zakharova claims Finland is escalating tensions, an academic pundit is invariably interviewed on television warning that Finland is “moving too fast” or “provoking our neighbor.” When Moscow demands border openings, legacy politicians whisper about “maintaining dialogue.”
Russian intelligence services understand this psychology intimately. They do not need to buy these individuals; they simply need to nudge their vanity and exploit their ingrained nostalgia for Finlandization. These academics and retired diplomats genuinely believe they are serving peace, unaware that they are being skillfully orchestrated as instruments of foreign psychological warfare.
Standing Firm in Unfashionable Truths
The era of bowing to Moscow’s psychological warfare is over. Our state leadership has drawn a clear line, and the vast majority of the Finnish people understand the reality: Russia alone destroyed our bilateral relationship when it decided to dismantle European security.
We do not need to apologize for protecting our borders, strengthening our defense, or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our Western allies. Let Moscow rage on Telegram. Our duty is to keep our eyes open, call out Russian influence operations, and stop giving airtime to the useful idiots in our own backyard who still haven’t woken up to the 21st century.
Medvedev warns Finland after nuclear ban lift
This video provides direct context on Dmitry Medvedev’s recent public threats targeting Finland’s defensive policy shifts.
Here are some more outbursts from belltower of Kreml.
Dmitry Medvedev: “Finland is preparing for war with Russia”
- Date: September 8, 2025
- The Statement: In an op-ed published by state news agency TASS titled “The New Finnish Doctrine: Stupidity, Lies, Ingratitude”, Medvedev wrote that Helsinki had taken a confrontational course under the guise of defense to “prepare for war with Russia and prepare a launchpad for an attack.” He added a ominous threat regarding the collapse of Finnish statehood: “Nobody will treat them softly like in 1944. Nobody will read them nice Moomin fairy tales anymore.”
- Source: Reported by MTV Uutiset and Verkkouutiset.
2. Dmitry Medvedev on President Stubb: “Relations have changed forever — I hope so too”
- Date: January 2, 2026
- The Statement: Reacting on social media to President Alexander Stubb’s assessment that Finnish-Russian relations had fundamentally and permanently shifted due to Russian aggression, Medvedev sneered: “Some guy called Stubb says Finland’s relations with Russia have changed forever. Agreed. I hope so too. I hope Russia never repeats the Bolsheviks’ 1917 blunder [referring to recognizing Finnish independence].”
- Source: Reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
3. Dmitry Peskov: “Placing nuclear infrastructure makes Finland a direct threat”
- Date: March 6, 2026
- The Statement: Following Finnish Ministry of Defense announcements regarding legislative updates to align with NATO’s nuclear deterrence framework, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned: “The fact is that by deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is threatening us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures.”
- Source: Reported by Anadolu Ajansı and Commonspace.eu.
4. Maria Zakharova: “Finland is a compliant tool of aggressive NATO nuclear ambitions”
- Date: June 29, 2026
- The Statement: Following President Stubb signing updated national defense legislation on June 26, 2026, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted on Telegram that Moscow would take “political and military-technical responses.” She accused Helsinki of abandoning military non-alignment to become an “instrument of the alliance’s nuclear ambitions.”
- Source: Reported by Anadolu Ajansı.
5. Dmitry Medvedev: “Finland is now on Russia’s nuclear target list”
- Date: July 2, 2026
- The Statement: Following parliamentary votes in Helsinki regarding NATO defense legislation, Medvedev wrote on X: “Finland has lifted its ban on nuclear weapons. What does it mean for Finns? Just one small detail: their country is now on Russia’s list of potential nuclear strike targets. Rejoice, Finland and its decision-makers, you have achieved maximum security!”
- Source: Reported by Työkansan Sanomat.










