Autopsy of Post-Finlandization : The Roots of the European Appeasement of Russia (PBO)

For a long time in Europe, Finland was considered as an example of a successful, non-aligned neighbor of Russia. However, this perspective is misleading. During the Soviet era, Finland had been treated by the KGB as an »experimental laboratory« for different forms of political, economic, military, intelligence, and informational coercion. Not only did the Soviets learn and test new strategies. Especially after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Finland and Finnish »friends« were used to promote Russian strategic interests within the European Union. This book analyzes the myth of neutrality and explains how Russian influence operates in Europe—and why its understanding is more important today than ever before.