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Finland's NATO answer and Idlib's lost water
Summary
A look back at two security developments reported around 2 January 2022, in Finland's relations with Russia and in north-west Syria.
What did security news look like on 2 January 2022? Two reports stood out, one from northern Europe and one from Syria, and both involved Russia.
On 1 January 2022, Finland rejected Russian demands that it never join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. President Sauli Niinistö said it was his country's right to join the military alliance if it wanted to.
On 2 January 2022, the rebel-held city of Idlib lost its water supply after Russian Air Force jets bombed a nearby water station. As reported at the time, airstrikes had increased over the preceding 24 hours. Attacks were also reported on farms near the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing, and on camps for internally displaced people near Jisr al-Shughur, where three people were killed.
The two reports came from very different places. Together they showed Russian military power and Russian demands being felt in Europe's north and in Syria's north-west in the first days of the year.
