Security policy This is how Niinistö’s speech was received abroad, the Financial Times raised the speech as its main news

Abroad|Security policy

Russian the media received the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö new year’s speech quite calmly. The media particularly emphasized the interpretation that Russia’s demands in December could be a threat to Europe.

News agency Tass and a state-owned news channel RT (before Russia Today) reported that according to Sauli Niinistö, Russia’s demands for a military alliance with NATO run counter to European interests.

News site Moscow 24 The President of Finland commented on Russia ‘s demands to NATO. This is what Niinistö did, among other things.

Niinistö In his speech, Russia’s statements to the United States and NATO in December concern and contradict the European security order.

Newspaper Izvestia headlinethat the President of Finland appreciated Russia’s proposals for security guarantees. However, the news does not provide additional information for the interpretation of the headline.

Reputable general magazine Arguments and Facts Niinistö wrote in his online news that he emphasized that Europeans were concerned about the situation.

International tensions are also a cause for concern for many Finns, he said it was said.

Many also drew attention to the fact that Niinistö said in his speech that Finland could apply for NATO membership if it so wished.

This does not mean that Finland would do so, said the program director of the Russian International Relations Incubator Ivan Timofeyev Ria Novostin in an interview.

Ria Novosti was quoted as Prime Minister Sanna Marinin (sd) the view that Finland should stick to the possibility of applying for NATO membership. Marin expressed his views in his New Year’s greeting.

“I think this is just a statement so far, although there has been a long-standing debate in Finland about joining NATO,” Timofeyev said.

“A minority supports this idea, because if we are precise, Finland can solve problems related to security and co-operation without NATO membership.”

Timofeyev admits that Finland’s benefit from NATO membership would be full membership in the Western security community, but at the same time Finland’s NATO membership would significantly weaken its relations with Russia.

“This rhetoric is not new. I don’t think it’s necessary to take it seriously now, ”Timofeyev said.

In the prestigious in a British business newspaper In the Financial Times (FT) Niinistö’s NATO option attracted the opposite attention. The newspaper headlines that Finland claims to have the right to join NATO – defying Russia’s demands.

The Niinistö story was the main news on the magazine’s website on Sunday.

In addition to the President’s New Year’s speech, France Télécom also notes Prime Minister Marini’s comment. According to the newspaper, Russia’s list of demands has launched a NATO debate in Finland during Christmas, on which, for example, the chairman of the Greens’ parliamentary group has taken a stand. Atte Harjanne and the main opposition party, the chairman of the Coalition Party Petteri Orpo.

FT also draws attention to President Niinistö’s statement in a quote from the former US Secretary of State From Henry Kissinger. While avoiding war has been the top goal of some states, the international system has been at the mercy of its most ruthless member, Kissinger said, according to Niinistö.

Read more: The veiled reference to Niinistö’s speech in the late 1930s stopped the research director of the Hybrid Center

Attention The former Swedish Foreign Minister, for example, praised the Kissinger quote on Twitter Carl Bildt.

Swedish Dagens Nyheterin interviewed by the Director of the Security Policy Unit of the Department of Defense Research FOI Mike Winnerstig considered the speech as a whole to be exceptionally critical of Russia.