‘Voters are looking for a mini-Niinisto’: Finland braces for new president
Al Jazeera
Under Sauli Niinisto, Finland’s relationship with Russia changed as the Nordic nation became a critical European power.
When Sauli Niinisto became Finland’s president 12 years ago, he looked forward to developing a European defence policy, pursuing “opportunities” in China, and preserving “an operating environment as predictable as possible with Russia”, which, he said, “remains at the centre of our foreign policy”.
All of that has changed, as the Nordic nation braces for a presidential vote that begins on Sunday to determine Niinisto’s successor.
Russia has become highly unpredictable and a European deterrent has yet to emerge.
The US, not the European Union, replaced Russia at the centre of Finnish foreign and defence policy last year as Finns abandoned seven decades of non-alignment to join NATO.
Relations with China are fraught with suspicion after a Chinese cargo vessel’s anchor damaged the Baltic Connector gas pipeline and data cables in the Gulf of Finland last October. It may have been the same ship that damaged undersea data cables to Taiwan earlier last year. There has been suspicion of Russian-Chinese collusion.
