Finland has reportedly earmarked funds for planning a link that would enable the movement of NATO hardware from Sweden and Norway

Finland has allocated €20 million for the planning of a new railway line connecting the Nordic nation with neighboring Sweden and Norway that would facilitate the movement of NATO military equipment in the event of war, according to the newspaper Iltalehti.

Helsinki abandoned its longstanding policy of neutrality and joined the US-led military bloc in April 2023, citing security concerns over the Ukraine conflict. Sweden followed suit in 2024, citing the same reasons. In response, Moscow vowed to beef up its defensive posture in northwestern Russia.

In the article on Wednesday, Iltalehti, citing anonymous government sources, claimed that the rail project is getting underway now that the Finnish government has earmarked the funds for its planning. According to the publication, the cost of the entire undertaking will likely run into billions of euros, with actual construction work expected to "take place well into the 2030s."

The article further claimed that the Finnish government is hoping to secure European Union funding for the project.

Explaining the need for the railway project in an interview to Iltalehti back in November, Finland's minister of transport and communications, Lulu Ranne cited a perceived Russian threat.

"Tanks and cannons must be able to be moved in any situation," she emphasized at the time.

According to a NATO policy update published last month, the bloc is "continuing to integrate [its] newest members - Finland and Sweden - into plans, forces, and command structures, including by developing a presence in Finland."

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that with NATO military infrastructure having been "gradually appearing on Finnish territory" in recent years, Moscow is taking "measures to improve its security that our military deems necessary."

Speaking to French weekly Le Point, he emphasized that Russia never had "any problems" with Finland or Sweden joining NATO, and has no intention of attacking them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected allegations that Moscow harbors any aggressive intentions toward NATO countries, calling them "nonsense" designed to alarm Western Europeans and legitimize major increases in defense budgets.

(RT.com)