When the President of the United States Joe Biden will arrive in Finland on Thursday, all attention will be on him.
However, a huge machine works in the background.
– I have heard that since it is a trip to many countries, a total of 600-700 people will arrive in Finland because of Biden, says a researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute Charly Salonius-Pasternak.
Salonius-Pasternak, who has closely followed US security policy for decades, cannot say where he heard the information from.
The US president’s travel arrangements are not disclosed to the public – especially not security measures.
Still, a lot is known about them.
For example, it is known that the code name used by the security services for Biden is “Celtic”, which refers to the president’s Irish roots. Donald Trump aptly called a mogul. Bill Clinton was, on the other hand, flamboyantly “Eagle”.
In this story, we tell you how the US president travels.
There are no surprises
Some of the security arrangements in Finland may seem excessive.
When the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump met in Helsinki, even the sewer covers were welded on in the meeting area and along the car convoy. We will probably do it again.
According to Salonius-Pasternak, the security measures always follow the same protocol.
The checklist is thorough. Who handles air defense? Do we need US snipers on the scene? How do local laws regulate the use of force? Where are the hospitals located and what kind of care do you get from them? And so on.
In Finland, cooperation with the defense forces and the police is naturally emphasized.
– However, it doesn’t matter whether we go to Helsinki, Brussels or Baghdad, the same checklist is always reviewed.
This is simply easier than thinking about every trip, which all the things are important to go through in this particular country, Salonius-Pasternak opens.
of the former US ambassador to Finland By Bruce Orecki according to which the president’s travel arrangements boil down to one principle.
– Nothing is left to chance. Literally nothing. Nothing! Oreck emphasizes.
Oreck served as ambassador when Biden visited Helsinki as vice president in 2011.
Although the scale of the arrangements related to the visit of the vice president and the president are different, they are united by preparation for everything.
– If there are surprises, someone has messed up badly, says Oreck.
Many of the things to consider are the same as for an ordinary traveler. At its simplest, it can be about mapping the location of the nearest toilet.
The difference is that the president’s staff doesn’t start asking for the nearest restroom until the need arises.
– No. I guarantee that they have figured out the location of every single toilet. It’s simply their job. Everything has to be clear when there is a tight schedule.
The Beast and own dishes
With the President of the United States, everything is big and wonderful.
Biden will probably fly with a nine-ton Cadillac, nicknamed “The Beast”.
BBC tells, that tear gas grenades, night vision cameras and bulletproof safety glasses have been installed in the car, among other things. There is even a refrigerator in the car, where blood matching Biden’s blood type is transported.
You can read more details about the president’s car and plane in this story.
You also don’t go on a trip without your own doctors, food and dishes.
– Of course, Biden has no forerunner, if Sauli Niinistö offers a glass of water or a lunch snack. It’s just easier to take everything along and see what’s needed, says Salonius-Pasternak.
Oreck doesn’t remember that Biden had his own food and dishes with him on the last trip to Helsinki. However, he does not doubt that this is the case with the president.
The question about food reminds the former ambassador of the granddaughter who traveled with Biden, who wanted pizza.
– We had mapped a million restaurants. One served reindeer, the other salmon soup and many other traditional eateries. But they went for pizza, Oreck laughs.
The embassy helps with arrangements and can give advice, but decisions are made in Washington.
– The president is the president. If he wants to go buy salmiakki, then it will happen. I don’t think it will happen, but it could happen.
The core team arrives on Air Force One
Biden will arrive in Finland on a US Air Force aircraft, best known by its radio callsign Air Force One.
However, Biden’s entire entourage doesn’t show up at once. Security personnel move in stages.
From London, security guards head to Vilnius in advance, and from Vilnius to Helsinki. Some have visited Finland already weeks or months before the state visit to check meeting places, driving routes and hospitals, Salonius-Pasternak explains.
The president’s core team and a dozen journalists are traveling on Air Force One.
Salonius-Pasternak divides the core group into four groups.
The first group includes the president’s bodyguards and the closest security guards. The second is the people responsible for food and health, such as doctors. The third group are political advisors and assistants. In addition, the trip may include the president’s close circle, such as the spouse Jill Biden.
These people stay close to the president all the time. In addition to security, their job is to ensure that the president is immediately informed and able to react if a sudden crisis occurs during the trip.
Either big and scary or small and inconspicuous
It is not yet known whether Biden will spend the night in Helsinki.
High-ranking guests have often been accommodated in Kalastajatorpa, where the state guest house is located. However, the guest house is not in use now.
Other accommodation options include a few top hotels located in the center and the US Embassy.
If Biden stays overnight in Helsinki, he will probably arrive on Wednesday. So far, there has been little information on the matter.
However, the US president cannot arrive in Helsinki unnoticed. The travel schedule will be revealed at the latest when the airspace of Helsinki-Vantaa airport is closed.
According to Salonius-Pasternak, the security of a state visit can be planned in two different ways.
– A bit like in the animal kingdom. Either you are small, inconspicuous and have good camouflage. Or you’re so visible, so big, so loud and so scary-looking that no one even imagines trying anything.
The latter is usually the US president’s approach, the researcher sums up.