Scared Scandinavians: Finland to Militarize Entire Border With Russia

Finland is freaking out. The Finnish Armed Forces plan to deploy rapid reaction force units to secure the entire border with Russia, Defense News reported.

Finland wants to start drafting more soldiers and increase its military budget to provide proper training for its rapid reaction force.

According to Finnish Defense Minister Jussi Niinisto, soldiers will be deployed in four military districts to "protect Finland from a possible invasion from Russia," Defense News said.

In the event of an invasion, Finland also expects to use its reservists in addition to the rapid reaction force and regular army.

"We need a new law that would allow the Armed Forces to draft reservists more effectively," said Ilkka Kanerva, the former Finnish minister of Foreign Affairs, as cited by the source.

The only question that remains to be answered is whether Finland even has enough military-aged men to cover the 1,340 kilometers (883 miles) of wilderness that covers the border between Russia and Finland.

Hysteria about imaginary Russian aggression continues to spread across Scandinavia. Last month Foreign Affairs magazine reported that the government in Helsinki was worried about Russian citizens buying up property in Finland. The government in Helsinki thought these wealthy Russians were somehow connected with the "devious" Kremlin officials who plan to snatch up the Finnish land to establish spying spots in Scandinavia.

Niinisto went so neurotic that he ordered the Finnish Defense Forces to bid for the plot of land against Russian buyers. In one case, the Finnish Defense Ministry's offer of $3.72 million fell short of an $8.45 million bid from one Russian citizen.