Finland

Russian fighter jets take part in Baltic Sea drills as support grows for Finnish and Swedish NATO membership

Russian Su-27 fighter jets have taken part in drills to repel a mock air strike on Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Baltic Sea fleet.…

Read More Here

Foreign ministers of Finland, Turkey, to meet over NATO tensions, Haavisto says

BERLIN, May 14 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Finland and Turkey will meet in Berlin later on Saturday to try and solve disagreements over Finland's and Sweden's plan to join NATO,…

Read More Here

Putin tells Finland that swapping neutrality for NATO is a mistake

May 14 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto on Saturday that ditching neutrality and joining NATO would be a mistake that could damage relations between their…

Read More Here

EXCLUSIVE-Turkey ‘not closing door’ to Sweden, Finland NATO entry, Erdogan advisor says

ISTANBUL, May 14 (Reuters) - Turkey has not shut the door to Sweden and Finland joining NATO but wants negotiations with the Nordic countries and a clampdown on what it sees as…

Read More Here

Italy strongly backs Finland-Sweden bid to join NATO

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 13 - Italy strongly backs Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday. "We…

Read More Here

Moscow will respond if NATO moves nuclear forces closer to Russia’s border – RIA

May 14 (Reuters) - Moscow will take adequate precautionary measures if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure closer to Russia's border, RIA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying…

Read More Here

FACTBOX-A brief history of Finland’s and Sweden’s strained ties with Russia

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) - Finland and Sweden, who are expected to decide to apply to join NATO, have long had strained ties with their giant neighbour Russia. - Sweden's and Finland's difficult past with…

Read More Here

Erdogan says Turkey not positive on Finland, Sweden joining NATO

ANKARA, May 13 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday it was not possible for NATO-member Turkey to support plans by Sweden and Finland to join the pact, saying the Nordic countries…

Read More Here

A look at Finland and Sweden’s path to NATO membership

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have been considering applying for membership of the NATO military alliance, which would mark a major policy shift for…

Read More Here

Kremlin says Finland joining NATO is definite threat to Russia

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Finland's move to join NATO was "definitely" a threat to Russia and that the expansion of the military bloc would not…

Read More Here

Russia warns West over risk of conflict with NATO

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - One of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies warned the West on Thursday that the increasing military support given to Ukraine by the United States and its allies…

Read More Here

Factbox: Probable steps in any Finnish, Swedish NATO bid

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is expected on Thursday to say whether his country should join the NATO alliance, with Sweden following suit with its decision in the coming days. Russia's…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay, Finnish President and PM say

HELSINKI, May 12 (Reuters) - Finland must apply to join the NATO military alliance "without delay", Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday, a major policy shift…

Read More Here

UK strikes new security agreement with Sweden and Finland

LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said he had agreed new deals with Sweden and Finland to bolster European security, pledging to support both countries' armed…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Finnish PM says NATO decision will focus on safety of citizens

TOKYO, May 11 (Reuters) - Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday that if her nation takes the historic step of applying to join the NATO military alliance, it would be…

Read More Here

U.S. offers assurances to Sweden, Finland over NATO application

The United States is confident it can address any security concerns Sweden and Finland may have about the period of time after they apply for NATO membership and before they…

Read More Here

Russian army helicopter violated Finland’s airspace

A Russian army helicopter violated Finland’s airspace on Wednesday, the Finnish defence ministry said, as the country mulls a potential Nato membership bid. “The aircraft type is a Mi-17 helicopter…

Read More Here

Finland, Sweden could deepen military cooperation if situation worsens

Sweden and Finland could deepen military cooperation if security in the Baltic Sea region worsens, for example during the process of a possible application to join NATO, Finland's foreign minister…

Read More Here

Finland and Sweden could join NATO quickly, Stoltenberg says

Finland and Sweden will be able to join NATO quickly should they decide to ask for membership in the Western military alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday (April…

Read More Here

Finland, Sweden to begin NATO application in May, say local media reports

Finland and Sweden will together express their wish to join NATO in May, tabloid newspapers Iltalehti in Finland and Expressen in Sweden reported, citing sources close to the matter. Despite…

Read More Here

Canada would be supportive of Sweden and Finland joining NATO -PM Trudeau

Canada would support including Sweden and Finland in the NATO military alliance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted both countries to consider joining. "Conversations…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Malmi airport, Helsinki, Finland

An aerial view taken with a drone shows a skating rink of the decommissioned Malmi airport in Helsinki, Finland. In early February, the City of Helsinki announced that Malmi's former…

Read More Here

Finland’s Europe minister says ‘highly likely’ Finland will join NATO

Tytti Tuppurainen is Finland’s minister for European affairs, in an interview on Sky News in the UK about Finland’s prospect for joining Nato, said it is 'highly likely' Finland will…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Finland says needs to prepare for changes on Russia border

HELSINKI, April 13 (Reuters) - Finland should prepare for possible changes on its Russia border, although the military situation there currently remains calm, Defence Minister Atti Kaikkonen said on Wednesday. Russia's invasion…

Read More Here

Finland, Sweden set to join NATO as soon as summer – reports

Russia has made a "massive strategic blunder" as Finland and Sweden look poised to join NATO as early as the summer, the British press has reported on Monday, citing officials. London-based The Times said…

Read More Here

Finland hit by cyberattack and Russian air violation

Finnish government websites suffered hacking attacks on Friday, the government said, at the same time as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was giving a video address to Finland's parliament. The ministries…

Read More Here

Prospect of Finland, Sweden joining NATO discussed at NATO meeting -U.S. official

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The prospect of Finland and Sweden joining NATO was part of the discussion between foreign ministers from the military alliance in Brussels this week, a senior U.S. State Department…

Read More Here

Finland to invest 850 million euros to speed up Russian energy exit

HELSINKI, April 7 (Reuters) - Finland will invest up to 850 million euros ($924 million) in ensuring it meets its energy needs and to speed up breaking away from dependence on Russian…

Read More Here

NATO chief says Finland, Sweden welcome to apply to join

NATO would quickly welcome Finland and Sweden into its ranks with open arms if they decided to apply, the military alliance’s top civilian official said Wednesday, as Russia’s war on…

Read More Here

Denmark would support potential Finnish NATO bid

COPENHAGEN, March 30 (Reuters) - Denmark would fully support Finnish NATO membership if the country were to apply, its prime minister said on Wednesday. "If or when Finland would choose to seek…

Read More Here

Finland suspends train connections to Russia

HELSINKI, March 25 (Reuters) - Finland's national railway operator will suspend services between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg in Russia on Monday, closing one of the last public transport routes to the European Union…

Read More Here

Sweden and Finland to further strengthen security cooperation

Sweden and Finland will further strengthen their security cooperation in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the prime ministers of both countries said on Saturday, but they were non-committal on…

Read More Here

Biden, Niinisto forge deeper ties as Finnish support for NATO grows

WASHINGTON/HELSINKI, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to deepen security ties with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto on Friday, but stopped short of making any formal guarantees to the…

Read More Here

Finns warm to NATO in alarmed reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is causing a rapidly growing number of Finns to support membership of NATO, suggesting the country's delicate balancing act between the Kremlin and the U.S.-led military…

Read More Here

In policy shift, Finland approves field guns export by Estonia to Ukraine

HELSINKI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Finland is to allow neighbouring Estonia to export to Ukraine Soviet-origin howitzer field guns, which were previously sold to Estonia by Finland but could not legally be…

Read More Here

Finland to offset high energy prices with subsidies, tax cuts

HELSINKI, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The Finnish government plans to offset high energy prices with subsidies and tax cuts, Finance Minister Annika Saarikko said on Friday. Saarikko presented a list of 17 measures…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Finland signs deal to buy 64 U.S.-built stealth jets

HELSINKI/WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Finland signed a $9.4 billion agreement on Friday to buy U.S. F-35 fighter jets, reaching a deal to bring 64 radar-evading warplanes to a country…

Read More Here

EU working on joint response to Russian letter -von der Leyen

HELSINKI, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The European Union is working on a joint response to a letter many of its member countries received from Russia earlier this week asking for…

Read More Here

Finland moves up planned easing of COVID restrictions

Finland will begin gradually easing COVID-19 restrictions from Feb. 1 instead of mid-February as initially planned as the burden on its hospitals eases, the government said late on Thursday. On…

Read More Here

Finland’s opposition come first, nationalists hammered in midterm regional vote

HELSINKI, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Finland's main opposition party, the centre-right National Coalition, outperformed the ruling centre-left coalition in a midterm regional election, while the nationalist Finns Party took a…

Read More Here

Finland’s PM says NATO membership is “very unlikely” on her watch

Finland does not plan to join NATO in the near future but is ready to stand with its European allies and United States by imposing tough sanctions on Russia if…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Monday morning in Helsinki

A man walks in a snowstorm in Helsinki, Finland, on Monday 17 January 2022. Via EPA-EFE/KIMMO BRANDT

Read More Here

Finland cuts quarantine length to five days

HELSINKI, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Finland cut the length of its COVID quarantine from 10 days to five for most cases, its public health authority said on Thursday. It will…

Read More Here

Finland hit by surging coronavirus infections

Surging coronavirus infections are forcing local authorities in Finland to stray from the government's COVID-19 strategy based on mass testing, tracking and isolation. Helsinki and neighbouring cities recommend that people…

Read More Here

Finland’s PM under fire for clubbing after Covid contact

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised for going clubbing after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case. Sanna Marin went on a night out in Helsinki on Saturday,…

Read More Here

Finland plans to let workers see colleagues’ salaries to close gender pay gap

HELSINKI, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The Finnish government is planning a new law allowing workers to check what their colleagues are earning if they suspect they are being discriminated against,…

Read More Here

Wake up and smell the ‘sustainable’ coffee produced in Finnish lab

With climate change threatening traditional coffee farming, Finnish scientists say they have produced coffee from cell cultures with an aroma and taste resembling the real thing. The VTT Technical Research…

Read More Here

EU must be ready to send aid to Brexit Britain, says former PM of Finland

The European Union must stand ready to send aid to Britain when it is crippled by food and supplies shortages because of Brexit, the former prime minister of Finland has…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Finland joins Sweden and Denmark in limiting Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Finland on Thursday paused the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for younger males due to reports of a rare cardiovascular side effect, joining Sweden and Denmark in limiting its use.…

Read More Here

Finland begins vaccinating mink

Finland will begin vaccinating minks on fur farms against Covid after the authorities granted temporary approval for an experimental vaccine. The conditional usage permit “is valid until the end of…

Read More Here

Finland hits record daily coronavirus infections

Finland on Thursday registered a record number of new coronavirus infections in the space of a day, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, the Finnish Institute for Health and…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Parainen archipelago, Finland

A view of the Parainen archipelago in Finland. Finland's archipelago has more than 180,000 islands running along much of the coastline, making the region an island-hopper's dream. The sizes vary…

Read More Here

Finland’s plan to ease COVID restrictions set back by rise in infections in soccer fans

HELSINKI (Reuters) - At least 300 Finns who went to cheer on the national team at the Euro 2020 soccer tournament have contracted COVID-19, health officials said on Tuesday. The…

Read More Here

Skilful Belgium display qualities to make it 13 in a row

Title contenders Belgium stretched their perfect Euro 2020 record to 13 consecutive wins in qualifiers and at the tournament so far, with their 2-0 victory over Finland on Monday that…

Read More Here

Russia back on track after 1-0 win over Finland

A goal in first-half stoppage time by Aleksei Miranchuk got Russia's Euro 2020 campaign back on track as they beat Finland 1-0 in Group B on Wednesday. Joel Pohjanpalo thought…

Read More Here

Finland beat Denmark but game overshadowed by Eriksen collapse

Finland claimed a shock 1-0 Euro 2020 victory over Denmark in their first major tournament appearance on Saturday, but the match was overshadowed by Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen requiring emergency…

Read More Here

Danes relishing ‘dark horse’ tag ahead of Finland Euro clash

Denmark are relishing their status as Euro 2020 dark horses ahead of their opening Group B clash with Finland on Saturday, the first of three home games at the Parken…

Read More Here