In Russia’s Karelia, Neighboring Finland’s NATO Membership Deepens Divides
Published on: Tuesday 09 December 2025
Finland and Britain on Saturday wrapped up the Northern Axe 25 joint military exercises, one of several early winter drills held by the Northern European nation and attended by NATO allies this year. Northern Axe 25 saw some 3,000 personnel, including 70 British soldiers, testing their readiness for demanding combat at the secluded Vuosanka training ground in Finland’s eastern Kainuu region. Just 70 kilometers east lies Russia’s republic of Karelia, a vast territory roughly the size of Uruguay with a population just over 530,000 people.
