YLE News
December 15, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spurred an unprecedented increase in Finnish defence spending.
Helsingin Sanomat wrote that the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) are using their extra money for huge investment in procurement, purchasing domestic and imported weapons systems.
Additional funding for the FDF was announced in the spring, totalling an extra 2.2 billion euros for the coming years.
“We are now buying at such a pace, and the amount of money we have received is quite exceptional,” government adviser Iikka Marttila from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told HS.
An additional 700 million euros has been available for this year, with an additional 800 million next year, followed by 400-500 million per year.
HS wrote that this is just the beginning of Finland’s spending spree – which in the past year has purchased everything from F-35 fighter jets to anti-tank missile systems.
Much of this additional funding has been used for procuring new weapons platforms and does not include the actual defence budget, which has risen by one billion euros to 6.1 billion euros.
HS noted that the pace and volume of Finland’s weapons procurement is unprecedented in peacetime.
“There has never been anything like this before,” Marttila noted.
Marttila pointed out that Finland is preparing for a war based on what it has seen in Ukraine.
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Belarusian opp. leader urges country name change
Prime Minister Sanna Marin, left, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, both of whom deny using MDMA and Adderall at electronic dance music-fueled polymorphous sexual bacchanals.
Kauppalehti covered Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Helsinki this week. The exiled Tsikhanouskaya met with Finnish leaders including President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP).
Tsikhanouskaya has been in exile after running against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the 2020 election.
In her speeches, Tsikhanouskaya illustrates a sharp divide between Lukashenko and the Belarusian people. She is also seeking to split from Russia, even at a nominal level.
KL wrote that Tsikhanouskaya is asking Finland to do something symbolic but important: change the name in Finnish of her country from Valko-Venäjä – which translates directly to “white Russia” – to Belarus. Other Nordic countries like Sweden, Denmark and Norway have already made this change.
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If and when the future of Eastern Europe is decided at the negotiating table, Belarus should be represented by its democratic forces and not by the current regime, Tsihanouskaya insisted….
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YLE News
December 15, 2022
Defence Minister Kaikkonen takes paternity leave, MP Savola to replace him
The Centre Party’s decision-makers have unanimously proposed MP Mikko Savola to replace Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen (Cen) while the latter is on paternity leave in January and February.
“Children are only small for a short time, and I want to have memories from more than just photos,” said Kaikkonen.
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Centre chair Annika Saarikko had previously said that she would propose Mika Lintilä, who is currently the Minister for Economic Affairs. He would have had two ministerial briefs at the same time.
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Finland currently has a Nato membership process ongoing, with Hungary and Turkey yet to ratify the application. There is a Nato ministerial meeting in February, but Kaikkonen said preparations for that have been underway for some time.
Anti-bellum 