The Finnish government decided on Tuesday to increase Finnish military spending by 2.2 billion euros, and on Wednesday the head of the defense forces Timo Kivinen and the Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen (Cen) held a press conference where they told them exactly what they were going to do with the new funding.
Looking at these plans, a journalist from Helsingin Sanomat Jarmo Huhtanen write that the war in Ukraine has strengthened some existing defense doctrines and the new teachings are reflected in some of the acquisitions in which the Finnish army is investing.
He pointed out that General Kivinen emphasized on Wednesday that the war in Ukraine had shown that the starting point for the development of Finland’s defense was good.
One of the lessons of the war in Ukraine is that the fight against Russia requires a lot of armor and anti-aircraft equipment. This is because in armored and air warfare, Russia always has a quantitative superiority.
Finland has certainly noticed how easily Russia controls Ukraine’s maritime territory in the Black Sea and is able to pose a threat to coastal areas, Huhtanen writes. The Defense Forces also plans to acquire more missiles for naval and air defense. These missiles are expensive, which is why the Finnish army has not been able to afford to keep large quantities in stock.
Kivinen added that the Finnish Defense Forces also intends to speed up the acquisition of new intelligence drones.
It should also be noted that Russia’s attack on Ukraine has once again shown that traditional artillery has not disappeared from the battlefield.
One of the biggest shortcomings of Finland’s defense is the lack of a high air defense system. However, it is currently being procured and funding is already available.
General Kivinen stated that high defense is an important capability and that the possibility of speeding up some ongoing projects is currently being explored.
Jarmo Huhtanen writes that it would be no wonder if the missiles of the High Air Defense were on the list of urgent purchases.
New assistance center for Ukrainians arriving
Evening paper Iltalehti tells about it that the City of Vantaa and the Uusimaa district of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL) will soon open a center to help Ukrainians fleeing fighting in their homeland.
"Ukrainians live in different parts of the capital, so the Vallila relief center in Helsinki may be too far away for some to take care of everyday matters," Pia Metsähuonesaid MLL’s Uusimaa Regional Executive.
The center in Vantaa will be similar to the Vallila center opened by the Ukrainian Association in Finland in March, where refugees will receive help, food, hygiene items and clothing, among other things.
According to the Finnish Ukrainian Association, there is currently no shortage of donations and volunteers at the Helsinki Relief Center. Currently, its services are used by about a hundred people a day
"The audience has been quite helpful and people have come to the door with the donated goods, but due to the lack of sorting facilities they have not been able to be picked up. However, the desire to help is never too great. You can help by donating money or goods to fundraising events or volunteering," The forest room explained.
"Assistance is still needed for a long time, and assistance centers are needed throughout the metropolitan area," he added.
Claim for restitution of confiscated art
Customs announced on Wednesday that they had seized an estimated 42 million euros in works of art in Russia. According to Customs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the goods are subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia after the occupation of Ukraine.
Ilta-Sanomat tells about it that Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the Russian State Duma, has demanded that Finland return the works of art seized by customs and pay compensation for the delay in their transport.
"Those who did this in Finland may not remember their own history well," Volodin said in a press release on the Duma website.
Volodin also suggested that the confiscation of works of art is not just a matter for the Duma Culture Committee, but also for its National Security Committee.
Ilta-Sanomat also reports that Sergei Obukhov, secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and deputy member of the Duma, accused Finland of lacking a “historical memory”.
Winter holiday
Jyväskylän Central Finland bears the story of the news agency STT, which tells readers that the winter of April will take over "holiday" – in this case, no snowstorms are allowed all Thursday.
However, it points out that driving conditions remain dangerous due to the bad traffic conditions predicted in Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Central Finland, Pirkanmaa and Åland. On Friday, the warnings cover almost the entire country.
Warning about Oulu Kaleva turns her attention to one of the less pleasant but once again topical signs of the approaching spring – the appearance of dog feces peeking out of melting snow.
By law, every dog walking outside a residential area, park, or paved road must collect and dispose of its garbage.
Kaleva points out that the conscientiousness of this simple task would prevent the dirty shoe of unfortunate pedestrians and many heated disputes.
Owners who genuinely care about their pets should not object to cleaning up afterwards, as collecting their litter prevents the dog from spreading viruses and parasites, Kaleva writes.
Source: The Nordic Page