Published: Less than 30 min ago
Updated: Less than 20 min ago
The war in Ukraine is the focus of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s New Year’s greeting, where she promises continued help “as long as they need it”.
“We will help the Ukrainians as long as they need our help. Russia will not win its war,” writes Marin.
She says that the Ukrainians will probably forever remember the support of the Finns, “just as we remember the help we received during the wars”, and continues:
“Finland has received Ukrainian war refugees and supported Ukraine with humanitarian aid, protective equipment and defense equipment, including heavy weapons. Ahead of the harsh winter, we have contributed know-how and equipment for winter warfare.”
She states that Finns are also affected by the war, through increased electricity prices and rampant inflation, and admits that it was a mistake to believe that you could create stability together with Russia, among other things through energy trade.
Now Russia is instead using it as a weapon and Finland and Europe must break away from the “dependency that makes us vulnerable” and that efforts to renounce Russian energy must continue.
When Sanna Marin looks ahead, it is towards NATO membership and the spring parliamentary elections, but also towards increased cooperation with above all the rest of Europe.
“We must strengthen our strategic independence, i.e. the degree of self-sufficiency, resilience and partnerships in particular with other democratic states”, writes the Prime Minister of Finland.