 Negotiations continued throughout 1938 without results . Finnish reception of Soviet entreaties was decidedly cool , as the violent collectivisation and purges in Stalin 's Soviet Union resulted in a poor opinion of the country . In addition , most of the Finnish communist elite in the Soviet Union had been executed during the Great Purge , further tarnishing the Soviet Union 's image in Finland . At the same time , Finland was trying to negotiate a military cooperation plan with Sweden , hoping to jointly defend the Åland Islands . 
