Honoured veterans of our wars, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of the veteran generation, honoured guests,
Peace has prevailed in our country for 80 years. We entered a time of peace on 27 April 1945, when the last German military units left Kilpisjärvi and moved on to the Norwegian side of the border. The guns had fallen silent in Lapland two days earlier.
For the Defence Forces and the people of northern Finland, the Lapland War was the final war effort following the hard years of war. Year after year, our young republic had fought a war against the Soviet Union, which we regarded as our arch-enemy. The losses of the Winter War and the Continuation War weighed on heavily us.
The young men who served on the front had reached adulthood far from their families and loved ones. At the time, hardly anyone wanted to continue the war on the orders of the Soviet Union. But the Finns did what they had to do – in a tough situation.
To a former comrade-in-arms, the scorched-earth policy practised by the Germans came as a major surprise. When arriving at Rovaniemi, Finnish soldiers were greeted by a town in ruins. And Rovaniemi was not the only place to suffer such destruction. Sodankylä, Kolari and Salla experienced the same fate.
Even difficult memories carry a special message of peace to our nation. They teach us that in war everyone loses. War is exhausting. It leaves scars that last for decades. The war years did not make a distinction between civilians and soldiers. Everyone lost something.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The end of the Lapland War marked the end of six years of war for Finland. Finland pulled through the ordeal and maintained the most important thing it had, its independence. Peace came at a high price. Still, peace is always worth striving for. If we do not talk about peace, it will never be achieved.
As Russia continues its aggression in Ukraine for the fourth year in a row, we must continue our peace efforts. We Finns, with our own history, understand Ukraine’s dire situation very well . We will continue our support for Ukraine for as long as it is needed. At the same time, together with our Allies we offer our unwavering support for Ukraine’s path to peace, respecting the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Honoured veterans of our wars, esteemed veteran generation,
You know the value of peace. We would not be standing here without your hard efforts. The reconstruction of our country and the settlement of the Karelians required an enormous amount of work.
It was by no means a given that after the wars Finland would rise to become a Nordic welfare state. When surrounded by war, many of you veterans dreamed of a peaceful life. For you and your children. You achieved it. You have built a successful, safe and stable home country that you hardly dared to dream about yourselves.
With great gratitude for all the work you have done for Finland, I wish you the best of health and a memorable Veterans’ Day. Thank you.
