Åland is strategically located between Finland and Sweden and is a demilitarized zone. No military personnel or military facilities are allowed here.
Under a 1940 agreement, Russia has the right to oversee demilitarization. That is why there is a Russian consulate in Mariehamn. According to Sia Siliopoulou Åkermark, director of the Åland Peace Institute and docent in international law, the agreement works as it should.
– A starting point in international law is that not even a war disturbs contractual relations between countries. A questioning of all the agreements that were the results after the world wars would create chaos in international relations, she says.
Demand that the consulate be closed
At the same time, the invasion of Ukraine has raised the question of whether Russia should have a consulate on Åland. The former Finnish ambassador in Moscow speaks Swedish EPN that it is time to close the consulate. A citizens’ initiative has collected nearly 34,000 signatures demanding the same thing.
But Sia Siliopoulou Åkermark doesn’t see that this can lead to a closure.
– A citizens’ initiative concerns issues that the Riksdag can legislate on. I cannot see what the Finnish Riksdag can legislate about in this case. Thus, a citizens’ initiative cannot apply to the termination of international obligations, she says.
Russia has according to Swedish EPN answered that they want to keep the consulate, and sent a note to Finland stating that vandalized. The Åland police have confirmed that a beer bottle smashed one of the windows.
The issue of demilitarization
But in light of the fact that Finland is now part of NATO, the question of whether Åland can continue to be demilitarized is also being debated. Before the Finnish parliamentary elections, almost half of the candidates stated that they wanted to abolish demilitarization, says Åland Radio.
For Mosse Wallén, the demonstrations outside the consulate are only about one thing. Peace.
– I just hope that the consul passes on that we demonstrate for Ukraine.