Ready for war: how soldiers in Finland are ‘preparing for the worst’ against Russia

On the doorstep of Father Christmas's ‘official’ hometown in northern Finland, soldiers from Finland and Sweden are practising drills in -18C cold as tensions between Europe and Russia continue to rise. Subscribe to The Guardian on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/user/theguardian?sub_confirmation=1 With progress on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine stalled, Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia is ‘ready’ for war with Europe if it starts it. In recent weeks, thousands of Nato troops have descended on Finnish Lapland to train in the extreme cold and snow in one of western Europe’s largest military training areas. About 55 miles (90km) away is the Russian border, where the Finnish army says Russia is in the process of building up its military presence and infrastructure. The Guardian's Nordic correspondent Miranda Bryant joined the northernmost brigade in the Finnish army to find out more ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/10/nato-russia-finland-border-lapland-santa-park #finland #russiaukrainewar #nato #rovaniemi #sweden #russia #putin