Finnish prime minister makes surprise visit to Ukraine

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday (local time) made an unexpected appearance in Ukraine. It has been reported that Finland is working to join the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) even abandoning a long-held status of neutrality following Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. She met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital of Kyiv where she declared Finnish support of Ukraine. Wearing a flak jacket, the prime minister walked on the street in Bucha and Irpin near the capital where civilian massacres were committed by Russian troops while paying tributes to those victimized by Russia’s attacks.

Prime Minister Marin said in a meeting with President Zelensky that she honors the Ukrainian public’s heroic spirits, assessing that the Ukraine war will provide a turning point to the whole European continent as well according to the AFP. She added that it will take several decades for Russia to recover its national status to the previous level in the international community. President Zelensky appreciated Finnish military assistance highly, replying that Finland will greatly help Ukraine join the European Union.

Prime Minister Marin announced following her visit to the mass killing sites in Bucha and Irpin that Finland supports all actions that the International Criminal Court takes to investigate Russia’s war crimes and bring the invader to justice.


Seong-Ho Hwang hsh0330@donga.com