Political scientist Alpo Rusi details KGB influence operations in Cold War Finland
Political scientist Alpo Rusi outlines late Cold War KGB pressure on Finnish figures, including threats against former Prime Minister Keijo Liinamaa in 1980.
Political scientist Alpo Rusi has outlined KGB covert operations in Finland during the late Cold War era in an opinion piece for Iltalehti. Rusi focused on the political dynamics surrounding the end of President Urho Kekkonen's tenure in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
According to Rusi, Keijo Liinamaa, a former Finnish prime minister and national conciliator, faced intense pressure from Soviet intelligence officers prior to his sudden death in December 1980. Liinamaa reportedly disclosed these threats to a diplomat. Rusi stated that Moscow used these covert tactics to interfere in domestic Finnish politics and influence presidential succession towards candidates favorable to Soviet interests during a sensitive transition.
Sources: Iltalehti
Sources
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