President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö visited London on 14–15 March 2022. At the invitation of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, President Niinistö attended the JEF Leaders' Summit and met Johnson bilaterally at his residence in Downing Street 10.
President Niinistö and Prime Minister Johnson had a thorough discussion about the situation in Ukraine, Russia and security in Europe.
It was concluded that the cooperation between Britain and Finland is deep and should be further developed. In recent years, determined efforts have been taken to deepen the cooperation both bilaterally and within the framework of JEF. “We have full British support on our side when we make decisions, no matter in which direction,” said President Niinistö to the media in the afternoon.
When meeting with Finnish media, President Niinistö said that the risk of escalation of the war in Ukraine gives particular cause for concern. The President highlighted the dilemma, in which we need to weigh the need to put an end to killing against the danger of escalation of war. “This is a really difficult equation to solve, and it seems to me that the pressure to end the killing in one way or another just keeps on growing”.
“We all had the same goal”
The issues covered by the JEF meeting included the Russian military operations, support for Ukraine and the long-term impact of the war. At the beginning of the meeting, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi also participated remotely and gave an account of the prevailing situation in Ukraine.
President Niinistö informed the media that, despite serious issues, the general atmosphere at the meeting was very amicable. “All those attending stood strongly behind the same goal.” The discussions focused on the mutual coordination of aid, the development of activities between the JEF countries, such as exercises, and the impact of economic sanctions. “Above all, we discussed what the future will look like if and when, at some point, this ongoing crisis, the war, is resolved.”
During his visit, the President also met Prince Charles, the Labour leader Keir Starmer and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
JEF, or Joint Expeditionary Force, is a United Kingdom-led multilateral defence cooperation framework involving not only the United Kingdom and Finland but also the Netherlands, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Estonia. The aim is to develop the military capabilities of the countries involved through joint exercises, prevent different kinds of crises and, if necessary, act jointly in crisis situations. JEF’s main operating environment is Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region.
An important discussion with PM @BorisJohnson @10DowningStreet. Shared views on Ukraine, Russia and security in Europe. Cooperation between Finland and the UK is strong. pic.twitter.com/xCgEUz2qFR
— Sauli Niinistö (@niinisto) March 15, 2022
Joint Expeditionary Force Leaders are united in support to Ukraine and resolve to strengthen European security. JEF remains an important part of Finland’s defence cooperation network. pic.twitter.com/z6k727HG4X
— Sauli Niinistö (@niinisto) March 15, 2022
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President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö met with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales on 14 March 2022 at Clarence House. Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic
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President Niinistö was interviewed by CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour in London on Monday 14 March 2022. Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic
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The Heads of State and Government of the JEF countries met in London. Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic
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Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir, President Sauli Niinistö and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the JEF Leaders' Summit in London on 15 March 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi participated via a video link. Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic
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President Niinistö attended the JEF Leaders' Summit in London. Ukrainian President Zelenskyi also attended via a video link. Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic
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President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö met with Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson in London on 15 March 2022.Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
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President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö met with Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson in London on 15 March 2022.Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
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President Niinistö attended the dinner arranged for the JEF Leaders' Summit hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 15 March 2022 in London. Photo: Jouni Mölsä/Office of the President of the Republic