Several countries are weighing their own capabilities to provide such military support. I think this could also be discussed in Finland. We know we’ve made a decision on new fighters. We know the schedule for when we will get new jets to Finland, and I believe that we can also talk about the Hornets, whether it would be possible to hand over [jets] to Ukraine, but no decisions have been made. The negotiations are only in the beginning stages.”
President though Sauli Niinistö denied knowledge of any such discussion, stating that “there has been no discussion with anyone” about handing over the Hornets to Ukraine. Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen He also commented that Finland still needs its Hornets in the next few years to protect itself.
The Defense Forces have not discussed the possible delivery of Hornets to Ukraine, and Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, ruled out delivery of the Hornets until the FDF receives US-made F-35 fighters in return. In addition, Juha-Matti YlitaloThe deputy chief of the logistics staff of the Defense Forces stated that the Hornets will no longer be competitive in the 2030s due to their construction age.
Mika AaltolaThe head of the Foreign Policy Institute criticized Marin’s statement and said: “It was unfortunate that the statement was made and it came as a surprise to some other national leaders. A phone call or a text message can be useful before suggesting such things. It would be basic cooperation to make Finland’s line clear.”
This is not the first time that the statements of an inexperienced prime minister have caused headaches for the Finnish president, other ministers and even NATO.
Last October, Suomen TV’s morning program (Ykkösaamu) answered an audience question about Finland’s NATO membership, why the country has not ruled out accepting nuclear weapons or permanent bases in its territory. Marin said, “I have made it very important that we do not impose such preconditions or limit our own maneuverability in terms of permanent bases or nuclear weapons.”
His claims were refuted by both NATO and President Niinistö, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces. “Finland has no intention of allowing nuclear weapons to be placed on its territory. There is no indication that any NATO country would offer Finland nuclear weapons, Niinistö said.
Mika Aaltola, director of the Helsinki-based Foreign Policy Institute (Foreign Policy Institute), also called Marini’s statement nonsense.
“Nuclear weapons will not be brought to Finland. Neither NATO nor Finland have such wishes. The doctrines of the United States and other member countries do not include providing nuclear weapons to Finland. Furthermore, Finland has no desire to put nuclear weapons on the ground,” Aaltola said.
Marin, the youngest prime minister in the history of the country, is a recent graduate, without management or work experience before entering politics. He was not elected by popular vote, but was nominated in the Social Democratic Party when his predecessor Antti Rinne suddenly had to resign due to the incorrect handling of the postal strike.
HT
Source: The Nordic Page