Professor of the University of Helsinki Tuomas Malinen stated that Finland could be the first to suffer in the event of a conflict between NATO and Russia.

In his view, the deployment of nuclear weapons on Finnish territory with NATO and US approval would create a direct threat to the country. He believes that if a war breaks out, Finland would be among the first to be hit.

Malinen also argued that recent events in the Middle East showed that the US and NATO lack the capability to intercept hypersonic missiles, a field in which Russia is considered a global leader.

In recent years, Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over NATO’s growing military activity near its borders. The alliance describes these actions as deterrence, while the Kremlin maintains that Russia poses no threat but will respond to moves that could endanger its security.

President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that Moscow does not intend to attack NATO countries, and that claims of such a threat are used by Western politicians to distract from domestic issues.