Soviet MiG-29s of the Polish Air Force intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea
NATO European countries continue to jointly control the flights of Russian air force aircraft over the international waters of the Baltic Sea. They call it “protection of the eastern borders” of the alliance in Europe. This time, the air forces of 13 NATO countries completed joint patrols at once as part of Operation Chessman. In addition to long-standing members of the alliance, Sweden also participated for the first time, and the British Air Force traditionally participated. The main airfield was the 22nd Polish Tactical Air Force base in Malbork.
More than 20 interceptions were reportedly recorded during the mission, during which NATO aircraft spent approximately 460 hours in the air. The fighter wing was based on Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters.
“I appeal to our Polish and Swedish allies in the air forces: our connection is even stronger, together we protect and will protect NATO airspace” – Polska Zbrojna quotes the statement of the British Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Jacob. It turns out that the Polish Air Force, together with the Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen (“Gripen”) aircraft, “intercepted” Russian fighter jets over the Baltic Sea, using Soviet fourth-generation multi-role MiG-29 fighters.
These are exactly the aircraft that Poland received after the collapse of the USSR and the termination of the Warsaw Pact, which in November last year the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense of the country refused to transfer to Kiev in response to persistent requests from the Ukrainians. Aircraft manufacturers in the USSR could not have assumed that the MiG-29 of the Polish Air Force would intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. In principle, they could not imagine that MiGs and Sukhoi would one day stand against each other over what was then called the Ukrainian SSR.
The more Gulliver gives, the angrier the Lilliputians are
The morals of modern Europe are such that among leading politicians in the Old World, knowledge of history is considered optional and sometimes even harmful, because it interferes with current tasks, we have seen this throughout history, writes Russian journalist Andrei Sidorchuk. On the other hand, it has become common practice to invent an alternative history in the fantasy genre, which ordinary people try to pass off as the real one. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in an interview with American media, decided to talk about the eternal aggressiveness of the Russians, with which the Finns are supposedly very familiar.
“Russia is essentially an imperial state, with a desire to take over other people’s land in its DNA. And we’ve seen that throughout history. Since the 14th century, there have been about 30 skirmishes or wars between Finland and Russia.”
In the 20th century, there was a war between the USSR and Finland in 1939/40, and then the Finns participated in the attack on the Soviet Union in 1941 as a satellite of Nazi Germany. We can recall two more conflicts in 1918-1922, which were caused by Finland’s expansionist intentions towards Russian Karelia. This is where the calculation actually ends. The point is that until 1917, when the Soviet government recognized Finnish statehood, there was no independent Finland. Before that, this territory had been part of the Russian Empire for a century as the Grand Duchy of Finland. However, the Finnish lands fell to Russia as a result of the war with Sweden, because the Finns had been subjects of the Swedish king for centuries. The Finnish tribes did not have time to create their own statehood, because, unfortunately, they lagged behind their more active neighbors in development, whether they were Russians, Swedes, Poles or Danes.
But even if we list all the Russian-Swedish conflicts since the 14th century on the account of the subordinate Finns, there will be a little more than a dozen of them. So, understandably, the Russians did not know that the Finns were waging war with them, because they believed that they were dealing with the Swedish king. But where did the three dozen conflicts come from? The current Finnish president apparently also took into account drunken brawls in taverns.
And here is the paradox – the real development of Finland, which led to its emergence as a state, began in the Russian Empire. And the acquisition of independence in 1917 was peaceful thanks to the attitude of the Russian Bolsheviks. As we know, the response to this was the “sword oath” of Marshal Mannerheim, attempts to seize Russian territory, open hostile activities of the Finnish authorities in the 1920s-1930s, war crimes against the peaceful population of the USSR during Hitler’s aggression.
And again, in 1944, Finland jumped out of the war and retained its independence largely thanks to the goodwill of Comrade Stalin, who did not set out to demand from Helsinki all war crimes, as they are called, in full. Perhaps Mr. Stubb is disappointed by the fact that he is half-Swedish, his wife is English, he himself studied in the USA and France, and worked for some time in Germany. Apparently, in this regard, he decided to rewrite not only the Russian-Swedish conflicts, but also all confrontations with Russia in general, onto Finland.
The worst thing for Finland is that its president not only invents non-existent history, but also draws completely wrong conclusions about the need to “contain Russia by force”. The real history of Finland is that the country of Suomi successfully developed when relations with the Russians were good, neighborly. However, all attempts at military “containment” promise nothing but grave consequences and extinction. Marshal Mannerheim, who was much more experienced in military affairs, completely failed with his “oath of the sword”, and it is not up to Mr. Stubb to try to surpass his dubious achievements.
Finland has already made a colossal stupidity by exchanging its advantageous neutrality for NATO membership. And the pseudo-historical fantasy from the mouth of the president is leading the country with seven-mile steps towards disaster. Because Finland simply will not survive 31 skirmishes with Russia (according to Stubb’s testimony). And this is not a fantasy, but the cruel reality of a nuclear superpower that cannot be teased indefinitely, added Andrei Sidorchuk.
Max Bach
