I live in Finland and we share 1340km of border with Russia, our 5,5 million people next to their 144 million. Russia is a mere 300 kilometres away from were I currently reside.

During my lifetime, and my parents lifetime, Finland and Russia have existed quite peacefully next to each other, but we only have to go back one generation to a time when we were at war. When my grandfather was a little boy, he fled from a part of Karelia that now belongs to Russia, and today there are about 5000 Finnish veterans still alive that fought against Russia (then Soviet Union) to keep Finland independent.

I'm not here to give a history lesson but the short story is that we've had a shaky history with Russia, been under their rule, had autonomy, fought for our freedom, had to give up people, land and pay war restitutions, but we are independent and have been since 1917.

For all of our existence, Finland has had to partake in a delicate dance and not make any sudden moves in the political landscape in order not to anger Russia. In an international level, we've always had to think what we can take a stance on and how Russia might take it, while retaining our independence on the matter.

A late political cartoonist Kari Suomalainen put it best:

The art of bowing to the East without mooning the West.

Every now and then Russian fighter jets fly on our side of the airspace to highlight their latest warning about Finland even thinking about joining NATO or something along those lines. _{Very juvenile.}

There are a lot of Russian people living in Finland, and vice versa, but we do not share a common language. When it comes to ordinary Finnish and Russian people, there really is no beef between us, at least there wasn't until a week ago, but there shouldn't be now either. There is a reason those Russian people have migrated into Finland, and Putin and his regime might be one of them.

Everyone in the western world is keeping a close eye on the current situation, no, let's call it what it is, a war Russia started against Ukraine. We are obviously very concerned here in Finland because what ever equilibrium between Russia and the West had been established, is now being shaken up in a major way, and we are right at the edge.

I'll boldly assume and speak on behalf of all my countrymen and say that we are all rooting for Ukraine, both because we know it to be the right thing, and because of the fear that if they do not win, we might be next in line. I feel like there is a sort of kinship between Finland and Ukraine, even when we are thousands of kilometres apart, because we know what it is like to live next to Russia. I and my generation in Finland have been lucky thus far, but that might change in the near future.

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Yesterday I was knitting in the living room when I heard the gun safe being opened up and my man starting to load magazines and organise other gun paraphernalia. I went to see what he is doing and take a few pictures, because what ever happens, it's a little snippet for the history books.

We are not doing any major preparation or taking precautions as of yet, but definitely keeping a close eye on the developments in Ukraine and reacting accordingly. Being at least mentally prepared for the chance that something really needs to be done is already a step ahead of the game.

Of course we don't want war, but it's out of our hands, and if it comes to that, we'll fight.