Quote Originally Posted by Suobig View Post
No. They wanted to protect Leningrad, because Soviet-Finn border was too close to the city and Finland was an ally of Germany. So in case of war finn troops could get to the city too fast and long-range artillery could been used without crossing border. There were long negotiations before this war, in which bigger territories of soviet land were proposed in exchange. Joseph Stalin said: "We can do nothing with geography. As well as you. We can't move Leningrad away from the border, so we'll have to move the border away". But Finland rejected everything. May be they hoped Germany won't let this war happen, but Hitler could not break the agreement with USSR - he was not yet ready to start the war yet.
Oh sorry - I deleted my post because I realised it was pretty rude to disturb by writing in English, plus we always get into side track with historical stuff. This topic about Ukraine is too important. So I deleted my post because it was a distraction.

I think you and I learned some different history in school regarding this... I have no idea what is right or wrong, but I know that the version I heard was more sympathetic to Finland since it's our brother nation... What's done is done with that, as far as I am concerned, but it must be one of the best examples EVER of a big nation totally messing up a war they really *should* have won.....
And at the end of the day, Russia got Karelia out of it and there is quite a buffer now, between the Finnish border and the Leningrad area.