In the Russian media, Åland’s Parliament Speaker Jörgen Pettersson’s reminder of the province’s demilitarization was interpreted as a refusal to arm itself against Russia.
The Russian media complain about the Åland people’s “decision” not to arm themselves against Russia. The news is based on a statement made by the Speaker of the Åland Parliament, Jörgen Pettersson, to the Russian news agency Tassi in Stockholm.
– The inhabitants of Åland supported Finland joining NATO despite the fact that the islands are still a neutral and demilitarized zone, Pettersson had stated according to Tass.
According to the chairman, the desire of the inhabitants of the archipelago to remain a “zone of peace” has indeed strengthened, as it also strengthened after the Second World War and the war between the Soviet Union and Finland.
– We can say that our neutrality was strengthened whenever such international events took place. In general, the mood is that we must remain a zone of peace, Tass quoted Pettersson as saying.
In Russia, the statement was met with jubilation
Among other things, the Russian online media Lenta.ru interpreted Petterson’s interview as an indication that the residents of the province have decided not to arm themselves against Russia.
However, the question is not about the will of the inhabitants of Åland. The demilitarization of the island group is based, for example, on the agreement on the non-fortification and neutrality of the Åland Islands, which was concluded through the predecessor of the United Nations, the League of Nations, in 1921.
The Moscow Åland Treaty of 1940 between Finland and the Soviet Union also prohibits the militarization of the province.
False claims about demilitarization
According to Lenta.ru, Finland had planned the demilitarization of Åland last year. The matter was indeed discussed in connection with Finland’s accession to NATO.
At the time, Major General Pekka Toveri told Iltalehti in an interview that the demilitarization of Åland would indeed give Finland better opportunities to defend the island group against possible aggression, but in his opinion, there is no need for permanent troops in the province in peacetime.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also made a report on the matter in 2023, but no official plan for demilitarizing the province was made at that time.
In Russia, the words of the Speaker of the Åland Parliament were interpreted in a strange way. In the photo, the Russian consulate in Mariehamn. Antti Nikkanen
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