On Yle TV1’s Saturday morning talk show programme Ykkösaamu, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said that the NewNew Polar Bear, the ship behind the suspected Balticconnector gas pipeline break, will arrive in China soon.
According to the Finnish president, contact with China in the investigation into the incident has been appropriate. When the ship arrives in China, Finland hopes to receive official assistance from China in the investigation.
“We hope and actually expect that Finnish investigators will also be involved,” Niinistö said on the programme.
Niinistö on border situation
The number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland from Russia has been increasing this autumn, with Finland closing the last border crossing point to passenger traffic on Wednesday.
Niinistö said on the programme that he views the instrumental sending of asylum seekers to the border as part of a larger picture of Russia operates.
Other countries such as Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have also been the target of similar hybrid operations on their borders with Belarus and Russia.
“Russia’s actions against Finland are not isolated from the rest of the picture. Russia is waging a propaganda war aimed at creating confusion in the West,” Niinistö said.
Niinistö added that this is a characteristic of Russia’s great-power politics and power struggles. One aspect of this is Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has been going on for almost two years.
While Russia intends to divide the West on Ukraine, Niinistö argued that its actions may unify support for Ukraine.
“The instrumental moving of migrants is causing sensitivities not only in Finland but also at the European level, and may serve as an incentive to continue supporting Ukraine,” Niinistö said.
Source: Yle
