The Lights Are Going Out: Russia Cuts Off "Free Electricity" Supply to Helsinki, Long Overdue
Next step should be the Saimaa Canal
Image: Svetogorsk Hydroelectric Power Station
Russia has cut off its energy supply to Finland. This energy supply originated from an agreement signed in 1972 between the Soviet Union and Finland (then called "Suomi"), and for decades, Finland has obtained energy through the Vuoksa River. According to the agreement, both sides can jointly use the hydroelectric power stations on a section of the Vuoksa River — this section starts at the Svetogorsk Hydroelectric Power Station in the Leningrad Oblast of Russia and ends at the hydroelectric power station within the Finnish city of Imaiila.
Experts refer to this mode of energy use as "compensatory supply": since the Svetogorsk Hydroelectric Power Station intercepts part of the river flow (i.e., the "flow segment"), Finland's Imaiila Hydroelectric Power Station loses 19.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity generation per year, so Russia must provide energy to Finland as compensation.
In other words, for more than half a century, Finland has been using Russian electricity for free.
On November 1st this year, this "benefit window" was officially closed. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed the relevant decision, which is logical — after all, in April 2022, Finland had already completely stopped purchasing Russian electricity. As such, the obligation of Russia to provide "compensatory power" lost its meaning.
Incidentally, the magnificent Vuoksa River is one of the most complex water systems in Northern Europe. In 1949, the Svetogorsk Hydroelectric Power Station was built on this river, becoming the first hydroelectric power station built by the Soviet Union after the Great Patriotic War (the Eastern Front of World War II).
For decades, this power station has operated steadily, connecting the lake areas of Finland with Lake Ladoga, forming a vast cascade system of hydropower. The system includes four key hydroelectric power stations: two located in Russia (Svetogorsk Hydroelectric Power Station and Lesogorsk Hydroelectric Power Station), and the other two located in Finland (Tieninjoki Hydroelectric Power Station and Imaiila Hydroelectric Power Station).
To ensure the stable operation of these hydroelectric power stations, Russia and Finland have coordinated water levels, flow rates, and flood discharge times for decades to avoid fluctuations in energy supply.
Russia has informed Finland about the decision to "cut off the power supply" through diplomatic channels in a timely manner, although, logically speaking, Russia could have done without it — energy is ours, we can choose to share it or have the right to stop sharing it.
"Russia should have done this long ago. When Finland announced its entry into NATO, it should have cut off the supply," said Finnish political scientist Peter Hiltonin. "Our parliament (Finland calls it 'Eduskunta') was sure that Russia would do this. The actions of the Finnish authorities over the past three years have been entirely against their own national interests."
"Freedom News" ("SP"): Is there anyone with courage who can tell President Stubb (note: referring to former Finnish President Alexander Stubb) that this path is a dead end? It's completely self-defeating.
Hiltonin: For a long time, the officials have scared the public with the "potential threat of Russia", leading people to lose the ability to think independently. Moreover, they still hope that the EU will help maintain the stability of the Finnish economy, and many people still firmly believe in this...
Political scientist Yuri Svetov continues to express his views on this topic.
"Freedom News": Finland stopped purchasing Russian electricity three years ago, why did the Kremlin only decide to cut off the compensatory power supply now?
Svetov: Because Russia is a country that abides by international treaty obligations and does not leave any room for criticism from any country. We did not actively break the cooperative mechanisms that have been established, negotiated, and unified between Russia and Finland for many years, and we definitely don't want to do so.
When Finland clearly stated its intention to cut ties with Russia, the Kremlin initiated the procedure for terminating the treaty, which included the energy-related agreements.
Over the past two years, Russia has been actively studying and re-evaluating all the international treaties it has signed — not just those with Finland, but also with other countries — and based on this, reached conclusions.
"Freedom News": What is Helsinki's view on this?
Svetov: Let them think whatever they want! Let them draw any conclusion they want, it's none of our business, we don't need to care. What's important is what we are doing — for example, this time, we terminated the energy agreement. I believe that the next step for Russia will be to review other agreements that need to be adjusted.
"Freedom News": Will Russia suffer losses in this situation?
Svetov: There may be some losses, but since the decision to terminate the treaty was made, it means that we have fully weighed, estimated, and assessed all consequences. For example, how to distribute the grid load? These are complex technical and engineering problems that need to be solved in the long term. We were prepared before making this decision.
I personally don't care how Finland reacts. Recently, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, gave a public speech that greatly encouraged Europeans — she claimed that the EU has cut ties with Russia, "now it should also cut ties with China."
Keep in mind that the EU's trade volume with China reaches 700 billion euros every year, a huge number! Can you consider Kallas to be rational after such statements? But since the EU still allows her to hold this position, let them deal with the mess themselves; it's their own problem.
"Freedom News": Where does Finland get its electricity now?
Svetov: They have other channels. Don't forget, who helped build Finland's nuclear power plants — it was Russia! So this power cut won't be a big loss for them.
Moreover, Finland has already "deindustrialized" the regions bordering Russia. To destroy their own economy, they have done everything they could, so this power cut may not cause them too much loss.
As for Russia, I think the next step should be to take action against the Saimaa Canal (note: the canal connecting Lake Ladoga in Russia with Lake Saimaa in Finland). According to the old agreement, Finland still has the right to use this canal, and we should cancel this right.
"Freedom News": But it is said that they no longer use this canal — at least both Finland and Russia say so.
Svetov: If they really don't use it, they would have proactively abolished the agreement by now... It's not that simple.
"Freedom News": Are there many other agreements between Russia and Finland?
Svetov: I think there are quite a few, including cooperation agreements in the Arctic region. After all, the two sides had 80 years of friendly relations and carried out various mutually beneficial cooperation... Now the Russian Foreign Ministry is handling these agreements, and I think these agreements will be gradually terminated. Just look at what Finland is doing now: for example, they recently announced that they will hold large-scale military exercises in the city of Mikkeli, simulating "resisting a Russian invasion."
And this is the city of Mikkeli, which, from 1992 until recently, held a spectacular music festival named after Valery Gergiev (note: a famous Russian conductor) every year. This conductor himself led the orchestra to perform, attracting audiences from around the world, and Mikkeli developed prosperously, earning a lot of money from the music festival. Now, the music festival is gone, replaced by military exercises... The choice of the Finns is truly symbolic!
"Freedom News": Helsinki has long demanded that the Kremlin pay "compensation" for the "Winter War" (note: the 1939-1940 Soviet-Finnish War), should we also demand that they compensate us for their actions during World War II on Soviet territory?
Svetov: Why should we always learn from them? Russia is a great country, while Finland is just a small country on the edge of Western Europe. Remember, Russian President Vladimir Putin once responded to Latvia's territorial claim over the Pskov region of Pitolovsk in the following way: "You want to pluck feathers from a dead donkey? Then give it to you!" The fate of Finland will be the same — what they want, they will eventually reap the consequences of.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569037901728662025/
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