Finn Bristles at Makarov

June 30, 2012

HELSINKI — Finland will not take orders from Russia on its defense strategy, the new defense minister said, rejecting a warning from Moscow against joining or working too closely with NATO.

Carl Haglund, who was appointed Friday and is due to begin his duties this week, said he did not welcome the remarks by General Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff.

Makarov said last month that increasingly close relations between Finland and NATO were disturbing Finnish-Russian ties.

(Reuters)

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