Fox News interview discouraging Finland from joining NATO follows years of pro-Russia coverage
Written by Zachary Pleat
Published
Two Fox News anchors interviewing the Finnish ambassador to the United States on Thursday seemed to be trying to discourage the country from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization following Finland’s announcement that it will pursue membership. The Fox interview, during which the anchors repeatedly suggested the action will have only negative consequences for Finland, follows years of pro-Russia coverage by Fox, which continued even after Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Two weeks after Russia launched its brutal invasion of Ukraine in February, Finland announced that it would review its security policy regarding joining NATO. Public support in Finland for joining NATO has more than tripled to 76% following the Russian invasion. Finland’s security review, which it published in mid-April, stated that due to Russia’s aggressive actions, “the security situation in Europe and in Finland is more serious and more difficult to predict than at any time since the Cold War.”
The document also laid out multiple ways in which Russia had destabilized the security environment for Finland and discussed its disregard for diplomacy in favor of war. It also explained that Russia had “added Finland and all other EU Member States to the list of ‘unfriendly countries.’” From Finland’s security review:
The war against Ukraine shows even more clearly that the use of force is a key part of Russia’s range of instruments and that it is ready to use extensive military force against civilian targets to pursue its political goals. Russia has shown that it can also use chemical weapons.
The UN Charter prohibits all forms of threat of force. Russia has stated that it could use nuclear weapons in a situation where it feels that its existence is threatened. Since the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly highlighted its preparedness to use nuclear weapons. By using threatening rhetoric on nuclear weapons, Russia is seeking to prevent foreign countries from interfering with its actions. This is in conflict with the Joint Statement by the Five Nuclear-Weapon States, including Russia, in January 2022, which states that nuclear weapons should serve only defensive purposes and that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.
…
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has long-term effects on the security environment in Europe and Finland’s neighbouring areas. Russia has shown that it does not respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and it has violated the UN Charter and breached the European security order.
Clearly, the Finnish government views Russia as a greater security threat today than at any point in recent history. Yet, during a May 12 interview with Finnish Ambassador Mikko Hautala, the two Fox anchors conducting the interview pushed Russian government propaganda portraying Finland as a threat to Russia’s security. They pressed the ambassador on whether Finland was “prepared to face the wrath” of Russia, and whether it was prepared to sacrifice its “good relationship” with Russia over joining NATO, never mentioning that Russia has already soured that relationship. They also quoted several threats Russia made against Finland for considering joining NATO, giving the impression that willingly joining the mutual-defense alliance would be disastrous. (In fact, Russia had been threatening Finland since February, prior to the Finnish government’s public consideration of joining NATO, and Finland has long had a strong military partnership with NATO.)
Citation From the May 12, 2022, edition of Fox News' America Reports
JOHN ROBERTS (CO-ANCHOR): A big move for Finland. That country announcing earlier today its intentions to join NATO, quote, "without delay." This following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin is threatening to take retaliatory steps if Finland, which shares a more than 800-mile-long border with Russia, joins the alliance. But Finland’s president says it was Russia who pushed his country to this point. Neighboring Sweden is also expected to make a decision on joining NATO in the next few days. So, what impact could this potentially have on Putin's war on Ukraine? Joining us is Mikko Hautala. He is Finland's ambassador to the United States. Mr. Ambassador, thank you for spending time with us this afternoon on short notice. We really appreciate it.
MIKKO HAUTALA (FINNISH AMBASSADOR TO U.S.): Thanks for having me.
ROBERTS: So Finland has enjoyed a fairly good relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia. I was at that summit that Sauli Niinistö hosted in Helsinki, back in the summer of 2018. This is a significant step that will forever change that relationship between Finland and Russia. Clearly this was in response to Putin's unbridled invasion of Ukraine. But walk us through the decision to get to this point.
…
GILLIAN TURNER (GUEST CO-ANCHOR): Mr. Ambassador, John mentioned a moment ago that your country shares an 800-mile border with Russia. If you join NATO, it is going to essentially double Moscow's exposure and their vulnerability in the face of the military alliance. In a sense, this poses a greater threat to Russia perhaps than Ukraine even joining NATO. Are you prepared to face the wrath that Putin will now have for your nation?
…
ROBERTS: Mr. Ambassador, let me put up on the screen the not-so-veiled threat from the Russia foreign ministry, that they put out in a statement. It said, quote, “Helsinki must be aware of the responsibility and consequences of such a move.”
…
TURNER: Mr. Ambassador, your country, in recent history, anyway, has maintained relative military neutrality and a good relationship, or a relationship with Russia that's stronger than the United States, closer than the United States relationship. If you move forward with ascension to NATO, are you prepared to sacrifice that diplomatic relationship with Russia?
…
ROBERTS: Mr. Ambassador, sir, one more quick question, if I could. Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of Russia, issued a not-so-veiled threat the other day saying if Finland and Sweden were to join NATO, that it would have to rethink its security posture in the Baltic Sea, and that the Baltic could no longer remain a nuclear-weapons-free zone. Lithuania says it's not a nuclear-weapons-free zone right now.
Fox’s negative portrayal of joining NATO follows years of pro-Russian commentary by the outlet’s on-air talent. The network has denigrated Ukraine’s leadership and defended Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Across the spectrum of its “news” and opinion programming, Fox pushed pro-Russia talking points during every day of the first month of the invasion.
Fox News’ biased coverage of Russia’s invasion has even been praised by Russian state media and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Perhaps this latest interview with Ambassador Hautala will earn Fox continued praise from the Kremlin.