“These are dangerous times.”Recognize Sauli NiinistöThe president of Finland, a country with the longest border with Russia, after Ukraine. Because of this privileged position, the Nordic country was the best interlocutor with the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. Helsinki hosted disarmament discussions and is named after the declaration which established the principles for security in Europe in 1975. Commandments like the inviolability and territorial integrity of States, or the non-re resort to force were established. After the Russian invasion Ukraine on February 24, 2017, paper was still available.
After the departure Angela MerkelAfter ten years of rule, the Finnish president is now the European leader who has a better understanding of Vladimir Putin. The French are the obvious choice. Emmanuel MacronAmerican or Joe Biden have frequently turned to Niinistö for advice before meeting the head of the Kremlin.
“They ask me for my opinion on a lot of things, and I try to be helpful”, because they know that I know Putin”, admits the Finn modestly. But Niinïsto acts as a bridge between both parties: “And the same thing happens with the Russians, because Putin sometimes calls me and asks me to pass on a message to my Western friends.”
The Finnish head-of-state, who enjoyed 90% popularity with the Finnish population at the end his second term was completed, isn’t content to be an emissary for the West and Russia. Putin spoke with him by phone on Friday about the current situation in Ukraine. During an hour-long conversation, she asked him to end his neighbor’s invasion and open humanitarian corridors so the civilian population could receive aid after two weeks of bombing.
“In a conversation focused exclusively on the war in Ukraine, President Niinistö emphasized the worsening catastrophe in Ukraine and the profound human suffering, which is having a profound effect on Western opinion,” explains an official statement from the Finnish Presidency.
In a long conversation on February 11, the Finnish leader was already pessimistic about the likelihood of war in Europe. But time seems to have proved him wrong. He noticed a disturbing shift in his conversation partner: “In his thinking, and his firmness, there is a total transformation.” “Putin feels that he must seize the opportunity presented to him”Niinisto explained that he predicted that war would break out if the US didn’t agree to some of Moscow’s demands.
Many Finns liken Niinisto (a conservative politician of 73 years who was previously Minister of Justice & Finance as well as Speaker Of Parliament) to Hitler. Urho KekkonenThe man who presided over Finland 25 years (1956-1981). Kekkone was able to maintain a good relationship with Moscow during the Cold War without having to give up democracy or the market economy. Kekkone’s critics refer to this newspaper as “pejoratively”. “finnishization”Because the Russian bear had to respect the sovereignty of the Nordic country, the Nordic country had been forced into neutrality.
A direct politician in his statements, Niinistö believes that “it is an exaggeration to say that I know Putin and his thinking more than others”: But the truth is that since he came to power in 2012, he has shared numerous meetings with the inscrutable Russian leader in both countries countries, telephone conversations and even a hockey game. He insists that he’s been playing since he was born, when asked which is better on the hockey ice.
The former Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary are of the same opinion Alexander Stubb, who accompanied Niinistö in some of his meetings with Putin, “is a master in the political handling of power and in finding the right balance.” He is the person to contact if you need to understand the events in the northeast corner, and more specifically what President Putin thinks.
Prior to the invasion, the Finnish head-of-state, who shared responsibility for foreign policies with the government and parliament (“Eduskunta”)), advocated Finland is free to choose whether or not to join NATO. Although this topic has been taboo for many decades in the Nordic countries, Putin’s unpredictable behavior seems to be changing. A survey has shown that 53% of those in favor are more than those opposed to joining the Atlantic Alliance (53% versus 43%) for the first time.
“In the midst of an acute crisis, it is very important to keep a cool head and carefully assess the impact on our security,” says Niinistö, who visited Joe Biden at the White House a week ago to strengthen military cooperation with the US.