ABSTRACT
Military-strategic considerations are the primary factor shaping Russia’s interest in Finland, whose territory lies at the juncture of East and West. At the same time, Russia’s policy towards its small Western neighbour has traditionally also paid special attention to geographic and economic factors. In the 1920s-1930s the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) failed to achieve any significant presence in Finland’s economic life, but even then, conquering the Finnish market was viewed as a matter of global significance.2
This position was to become the basic point of departure for Soviet post-war policy on Finland.
