Finland calls Russia's NATO demands outrageous

Finland's Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen called Russia's demands for NATO to reduce its presence in countries bordering Russia "outrageous" and a test of US and European resolve in negotiations. Häkkänen stated that Russia wants European NATO members to limit their own operations in Russia's interests, which he said is not up for discussion. He added that Russia is clearly not serious about peace talks but is expanding its demands to reshape European security architecture in its favor. Finland joined NATO in 2023, over a year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and now guards more than half of the alliance's border with Russia. Reports have suggested Russian proposals include Ukraine ceding territory and Finland leaving NATO, which the Kremlin has denied.