According to President Niinistö, the meeting with Joe Biden deepened co-operation between Finland and the United States. The backbone of the foreign policy line is unity not only with the EU’s partners, but also with the United States, writes ‘s US correspondent Iida Tikka.
WASHINGTON. President Sauli Niinistö and the President of the United States Joe Biden The encounter began on Friday with praise for all the Nordic countries.
– As you know, my predecessor Barack Obama it used to be said that everything would be fine if we let the Nordic countries take care of everything. Everything would be fine, Biden said.
However, Finland no longer wants things to be left to the Nordic countries, and that is why Niinistö had arrived in Washington.
The theme of the meeting was the deepening defense co-operation between the United States and Finland. The moment was historic: the presidents shook hands just a week after the gunpowder barrel behind our eastern border had exploded.
Niinistö’s outspoken briefing after the meeting opened up what the new situation means in practice.
The wider significance of the meeting was also clear. Niinistö arrived in Washington to secure steps towards a new security policy line based not only on close cooperation with EU countries but also with the United States.
At the press conference, the president Niinistö did not say that Finland would take steps towards NATO. Instead, he said, a process was underway to increase defense and security cooperation.
Niinistö did not specify which initiatives will be discussed first. Security cooperation is a broad term that can include almost anything from the development of maintenance and information security to arms sales and military alliances. Intelligence co-operation has already deepened during the week, as information exchange between NATO, Finland and Sweden has increased.
– This is precisely a question of concrete security and defense factors, not so much of memberships, Niinistö said.
However, Niinistö and Biden also talked about NATO. According to Niinistö, NATO’s door is open to all countries that meet the criteria.
– There is no different perception that Finland does not meet those criteria.
Niinistö reminded that temporary security guarantees are not part of NATO policy. According to him, the unity of Europe, and especially the new line of Germany, will make both Europe and Finland more united as part of Europe.
It is the unity of the EU and the United States is the backbone of Finland’s foreign and security policy.
Finland has been committed to the EU’s common line since 1995, and defending the unity of the Union has been the focus of political leadership ever since. Yet our security policy on the Eastern Axis has been very independent in some situations.
The EU does not have a common defense or security organization, despite Finland’s dreams, and we have a long eastern border.
It has required special navigation.
For many years, Finland’s foreign and security policy towards Russia has been based on close co-operation and micro-level co-operation with Russia. Examples of this are environmental co-operation between the countries in Finland’s neighboring areas and business development work carried out by Finnish small entrepreneurs in cross-border Karelia.
Once problems have arisen, they have been resolved through negotiations with Russia – sometimes as part of EU negotiations, but sometimes directly when the situation is to be resolved quickly. For example, after Russia organized refugees at Finland’s northern border crossings in 2016, Niinistö met with Putin in Moscow and the matter was settled.
Washington Russia experts have for years admired Finland’s ability to manage its relations with Russia.
Every attempt by the United States to turn its relationship with Russia for the better has been based on a similar framework, with the United States taking small steps to increase positive engagement with the Russian leadership.
It has not succeeded. Now Finland has also ceded to Russia.
After the meeting, Niinistö planned to discuss Germany Olof Scholtzin with, but did not plan to play Russian To Vladimir Putin.
The most important thing is inseparability from the EU front. NATO’s unity is also relevant to Finland right now. Niinistö estimates that the solidarity of the military alliance could speed up the NATO process if necessary.
Finland is now rapidly exploring its options together with Sweden. The goal of the Nordic countries is once again to manage things in such a way that everything will continue to be fine.
But what did Niinistö respond to when Biden praised the Nordic countries in his opening remarks?
– Yes, we don’t usually start wars.
So did Ukraine.