Finlandization

American  

[fin-luhn-duh-zey-shuhn] / ˌfɪn lən dəˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the neutralization of a country in terms of its allegiance to the superpowers, in the way that the Soviet Union rendered Finland neutral and friendly without making it a satellite state or requiring that it adopt Communism.

2. such a neutral status pursued as a deliberate act of policy by a lesser power.

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Finlandization British  

/ ˌfɪnləndaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. neutralization of a small country by a superpower, using conciliation, as the former Soviet Union did in relation to Finland

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Etymology

Origin of Finlandization

First recorded in 1965–70; Finland + -ization

Example Sentences

This deal—which codified a mix of mutual interest, leeriness, and respect—marked the beginning of Finlandization.

From Slate • May 16, 2022

He is compared by some to Urho Kekkonen, who took power in 1956 and ruled Finland for 25 years, during the so-called Finlandization period of the Cold War.

From New York Times • Feb. 13, 2022

Yet the model surfaced again this week, when President Emmanuel Macron of France was asked by a reporter during his shuttle diplomacy in Moscow for talks whether Finlandization was a possibility for Ukraine.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2022

He was the father of a peculiarly Finnish policy that he dubbed "active neutrality" and that his critics scorned as "Finlandization."

From Time Magazine Archive

The eventual goal is a gradual Finlandization in which certain bloc countries move toward Western-style market economies and adopt the political democratization that goes with them, reducing the adversarial nature of the East-West relationship.

From Time Magazine Archive