Russia scrutinizing Finland’s infrastructure vulnerabilities, says Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen

Russia is scrutinizing Finland’s infrastructure, particularly identifying vulnerabilities, according to Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in an interview published by the German newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) on Wednesday. “There is hybrid influence, and then there is sabotage,” Valtonen stated.

The primary targets of Russia’s hybrid influence, according to Valtonen, are currently Germany and France, where it seeks to undermine support for Ukraine through disinformation. She emphasized that she expects “anything” from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Contrasting views arise regarding sabotage incidents. Interior Minister Lulu Ranne recently suggested authorities suspect Russian involvement in various suspected sabotage cases in Finland in recent years. A similar message was relayed by Tomi Vuori, head of the police department at the Ministry of the Interior, who noted on Monday that several incidents had occurred in the past month that could be attributed to state actors, particularly near critical infrastructure such as water and energy facilities.

However, the Finnish Security Intelligence Service indicated to STT earlier this week that there have been no signs of state involvement in these cases.

Valtonen also expressed concerns about defense spending, stating that Europe is not doing enough to defend itself against Russia. She told WAZ that European nations should invest more in their defense, with spending needing to reach at least the NATO-recommended level of two percent of GDP, and indicating that much more will be needed in the future. She stressed the importance of working closely with the United States, regardless of its leadership, while underscoring the need for Europe to strengthen its self-reliance for the future.