Contents tagged with Finland
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Finland approves use of its weapons by Ukrainian Forces against targets in Russia
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are allowed to strike targets on Russian territory using Finnish weapons. She clarified in an interview with the newspaper Uusi Suomi that Ukraine is engaged in a defensive, and therefore, it has the right to target military objects in the aggressor nation for self-defense. The government in Helsinki has not placed specific restrictions on the use of the assistance provided but expects Ukraine to use these weapons …
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Russia unilaterally redraws Baltic Sea borders with Finland and Lithuania
Moscow Times, citing a draft government decree published on the legal acts portal, has reported Russia's decision to unilaterally alter its maritime boundaries with Lithuania and Finland in the Baltic Sea.
The Russian Defence Ministry has prepared a document declaring parts of the eastern Gulf of Finland and areas near the cities of Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in the Kaliningrad region as Russia's internal maritime waters.
This will involve changing the geographical coordinates of points used …
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Finland's defense minister calls for increased Western support for Ukraine
Finland's Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen from the National Coalition Party has urged the West to bolster its support for Ukraine. He stated that Europe has not fully comprehended the gravity of the war through a historical lens and has not provided Ukraine with sufficient assistance, reports Yle.
"Funding for military support in Ukraine must be found immediately," Kaikkonen said.
The Finnish Defence Minister also emphasized the significance of increasing the European Union's own weapons …
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Media: Finnish companies continue exporting defense-related components to Russia despite sanctions
Russia continues to receive components and equipment that are used in its defence industry from Finland, an investigation by the public broadcaster Yle has revealed.
Around 20 companies that exported components potentially used in the defence industry to Russia were uncovered by journalists. The report points to small logistics firms with Russian-linked owners and offices predominantly located in tiny spaces in the southeast part of the country, near major logistics hubs.
One company supplied …
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Finland prepares to shut last operating border crossings with Russia over migrant concerns
On Tuesday, November 22, Finland may close the remaining border crossing points that are still operating on the land border with Russia, reported the Finnish newspaper IltaLehti. According to the newspaper, the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo may make a decision on Monday that all crossing points on the land border with Russia will be closed on Tuesday night.
Based on the available intelligence, the Finnish government made an assessment that the Russian authorities are involved in …
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Russia suspected of blowing up Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia
Norwegian seismologists detected a possible explosion in the Baltic Sea during the night of October 7-8 at 01:20 local time (which coincides with Moscow time). The incident is said to have occurred near the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, according to a statement from NORSAR (the Norwegian-US foundation for the detection of earthquakes and nuclear explosions).
The magnitude of the seismic event is estimated to be 1, which is much lower than the explosion that …
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Estonian Prime Minister proposes joint trade embargo against Russia, calls for support from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Finland
Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has made a proposal following a scandal surrounding her husband's business ties with Russia. She called on the neighbouring countries to introduce a unified trade embargo against Russia. According to Kallas, Finland could play a key role in this matter.
Kallas said she had not spoken with Finland's new Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, yet but promised to do so.
Estonian broadcaster ERR highlights that daily exports from Estonia to Russia include electronics, …
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Russian Neo-Nazi suspected of war crimes in Ukraine detained in Finland
Finnish police have detained a Russian man suspected of committing terrorist crimes in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine in 2014-2015, reported the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat. According to the newspaper , the 36-year-old man is suspected of participating in a terrorist group in the Donbas region from June 2014 to August 2015. Ukraine has requested his extradition. The suspect's case and the extradition request will be considered by the Ita-Uusimaa district court on August 25. …
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Finland considers legislation to ban Soviet and Nazi symbols
The Finnish government is considering the possibility of legislating to ban the use of Soviet and Nazi symbols due to their promotion of discrimination and incitement to hatred. The symbols in question are the hammer and sickle, as well as the swastika, according to Yle.
Ben Zyskowicz, a Member of Parliament from the Coalition Party, has proposed this measure in a governmental report that includes measures to promote equality and eradicate discrimination. The issue has been discussed within a …
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Kremlin: Finland’s accession to NATO violates Russia’s national interests
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Finland's accession to NATO would be "another aggravation of the situation."
"The Kremlin believes that this is another aggravation of the situation. The expansion of NATO is an encroachment on our security and national interests of the Russian Federation. We talked about it, and this is how we perceive it," RIA Novosti quotes Peskov as saying.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that it was Russia's actions that led to the expansion of NATO, …