US Reaction if Russia Attacks Finland

Military Capabilities of Finland 02:55

• Finnish Defence Forces have been preparing to protect the nation from Russia since its conception
• Finland gained independence from the Russian Empire in 1917 but quickly found itself once again under threat of invasion by the Soviet Union during World War II
• The Finnish Air Force consists of around 166 aircraft, which only 55 are fighters
• Finland has around 240 tanks, most of which are Leopard IIs, often considered one of the most capable tanks in the world
• Finland also has around 800 artillery guns and 75 MLRS vehicles
• The Finnish Navy is pretty much non-existent, with around eight fast attack vessels and a handful of mine sweepers
• When compared to the Russian military, even in its weakened state, Finland is outmanned and outgunned. But again, numbers aren’t everything
• If a war ever broke out between the two nations, Finland would have some powerful allies, including the United States

Relationship between Finland and US 04:22

• The US formally established diplomatic relations with Finland in 1919
• During the Cold War, Finland's proximity to USSR was of particular interest to the United States
• Finland was adamant about remaining neutral in the conflict and refused to openly aid the United States or allow nuclear weapons be deployed within their borders
• However, the Finnish government was much more invested in the West winning the Cold War than the Soviet Union
• In 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed, the United States ramped up its efforts to help support Finland in its nonalignment policies while also reinforcing their cultural and economic ties to the West
• In 2016, The United States and Finland signed a bilateral Statement of Intent with several objectives of this agreement
• The first was to deepen bilateral and multilateral dialogue defense policies
• This would set up Finland to join NATO more easily in the future since interoperability between militaries is a requirement for being accepted into the organization

Economic Capabilities of Finland 02:03

• Finland’s economy has been on an upward trend since 2015 and is close to reaching 300 billion dollars annually
• Economic agreements between Finland and the US have only helped Finland’s economy
• The Russian economy, on the other hand, is starting to stall and eventually will go into crippling decline as the sanctions placed on Russia by the West take hold
• These will cause long-lasting effects, and a lot of Russia’s current future economic problems can be traced back to United States policies

Possible Scenarios of US reaction to Russia attacking Finland 00:30

• The extent to which the United States would get involved in a conflict between Finland and Russia depends on what actions Putin takes
• A full-scale invasion would elicit a very different reaction from the United States than a series of skirmishes along the border of two nations
• If Putin resorted to using nukes against Finland, the US response would be swift and catastrophic

Conclusion 05:54

• Finland would have some powerful allies, including the United States if a war ever broke out between the two nations
• Finland has been preparing to protect the nation from Russia since its conception and has a strong military capable of defending itself
• The relationship between Finland and the US has been strengthening over the years, and the US has been helping Finland support its nonalignment policies while also reinforcing their cultural and economic ties to the West
• The US reaction to a potential Russian attack on Finland would depend on the actions Putin takes, but a full-scale invasion or the use of nukes would elicit a swift and catastrophic response from the US

US-Finland Strategic Agreement 06:23

• The US and Finland signed a strategic agreement called "The Statement of Intent."
• The agreement aims to increase strategic information sharing and joint training exercises.
• The US wants to increase armament cooperation and collaboration in research, development, test, and evaluation.
• The US seems to want to militarize Finland to work with them in the future if their neighbor, Russia, ever became aggressive.

The US and Finland Cooperation 07:28

• The US and Finland have cooperated in peace-support missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
• The US has played a significant role in helping Finland grow its military and modernize its tactics.

US Response to Russian Attack 07:51

• Finland and the US have good relations and several trade agreements.
• The US is heavily invested in maintaining the status quo of pro-Western ideologies and alliances in Finland.
• If Russia ever invaded Finland, the US would respond.
• The extent and severity of the response would be directly connected to the type of attack Russia initiates against Finland.

Scenario 1: Russia invades Finland using similar tactics as in Ukraine 08:12

• The attacking force would likely be much weaker than the initial invasion of Ukraine because war has taken a significant toll on the number of soldiers and weapons that Russia has at its disposal.
• If Russia was to invade Finland using tanks, armored vehicles, and troops, the US would not take such actions lightly.
• The US would likely send javelins to allow Finland's far inferior numbers to decimate Russian tanks and vehicles.
• The US would send M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System to launch six long-range rockets either simultaneously or at different times and then immediately move its position to get out of danger.
• The US may even provide Finland with more aircraft or at least expedite the delivery of F-35 Lightning IIs that Finland has already purchased.
• Congress would pass a Finnish relief bill authorizing huge sums of money and weapons to be sent to Finland if they were ever invaded by Russia.

Possibility of Deployment of US Forces in Joint Operation with Finland 11:59

• The US could deploy its own forces in a joint operation with Finland if Russia started to amass troops on the Finnish border.
• This could act as a deterrent for Russia.
• If Russia invaded and American troops were caught in the crossfire, it may be seen as an act of war against the United States.
• They could claim that Russia was not only the aggressor but attacked American troops intentionally, allowing the US to declare war on Russia.

NATO's Role in Sending Troops to Countries that Share a Border with Ukraine 12:26

• NATO has been sending more and more troops to countries that share a border with Ukraine.
• This has been done to stop any further progress Russia could make if it won the war.

NATO Response to a Russian Invasion 12:38

• If Russia invades Finland, all nations in NATO, including the United States, would declare war on Russia.
• This would be an unwinnable war for Russia.

Finland's Potential NATO Membership 12:45

• Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022, but Hungary and Turkey have not yet ratified their acceptance.
• However, if Finland were attacked by Russia, the United States and NATO could still declare war on Russia under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union.
• Finland is a member of the European Union and could invoke the CSDP, which would bring other European nations to their aid.
• If Russia continues to wage war while other EU forces are in Finland, it could be considered an act of war against those nations, many of which are NATO members. This would trigger Article 5 of the Treaty, and every member of NATO would declare war on Russia, including the United States.

Gray Zone Tactics 13:57

• If Russia uses gray zone tactics and launches conventional missiles into Finland but does not invade, the United States' response would be different.
• The United States would likely not retaliate with force, but it would deploy troops to Finland and nearby NATO countries in preparation for a retaliatory strike into Russia to deter further aggression.
• Finland has already procured tactical missiles and Joint Stand-Off Weapons from the US to mount a defense or act as a deterrent against Russian attack.

Possibility of a Nuclear Strike 17:11

• Although highly unlikely, if Russia were to attack Finland with nuclear weapons, it would be met by a unified global response against Russia.
• The United States and Russia would be brought to the brink of war, and NATO would also actively arm their nukes just in case Putin decided to launch any more missiles.
• A Russian nuclear strike against Finland probably wouldn't result in World War III because China has made it clear it would not support Russia using nukes in Ukraine or in general.
• North Korea might back Russia, but Finland, the United States, and NATO have little to fear from North Korea.

Russia's military capabilities and China's role 18:41

• North Korea relies on old Soviet technology and may not have reliable nuclear missiles.
• China would likely intervene if Russia launches a nuclear attack on Finland to prevent a global nuclear holocaust.
• Putin launching nukes at Finland would prompt a worldwide effort to remove him from power and prevent further nuclear weapon deployment.

US response to a Russian attack on Finland 18:58

• The US would not be the only country to aid Finland in the event of a Russian attack.
• A worldwide effort would likely be made to remove Putin from power and prevent further nuclear weapon deployment.
• If the US believed that Russia would launch more nukes, they might launch their own nuclear attack against Russia to send a clear message.
• This could lead to a series of exchanges and result in the loss of countless lives.

Scenario 4: Russia is too weak to attack Finland 19:32

• Even without US support, Russia is in no position to invade another country.
• Russia is already losing badly in the war in Ukraine, and Putin is desperate to hold onto the little territory Russia still controls.
• The scenarios discussed would almost certainly lead to the Russian military being decimated, as they could not fight two different countries simultaneously.
• The most likely outcome for Russia is that they will continue to fight in Ukraine until more Western tanks and weapons arrive.

Possible repercussions for Putin's regime 20:29

• The Ukrainian military may eventually push Russia out of their country.
• Putin's regime will suffer drastic repercussions if he admits defeat in Ukraine, at the very least losing the faith of the Russian people and greatly diminishing his power.
• An attack on Finland by Russia would likely result in much more aggressive actions by the US and members of the European Union, possibly even declaring war on Russia.
• Since Russia cannot defeat the much smaller Ukrainian military, it has no hope of winning a war against the US and its allies.

Probability of a Russian attack on Finland 20:59

• The probability of Russia attacking Finland is very small, but it cannot be ruled out entirely.
• If Russia did attack Finland, the US response would be swift and merciless.
• Other videos to watch on related topics are "How NATO Would Respond to a Nuclear Strike" and "US World War 3 Plan."