Finland’s leader leverages Joe Biden face time to boost ties

Bloomberg

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto met with President Joe Biden in the White House, signaling that he’s looking for a closer relationship with the superpower after Finland’s neighbor Russia invaded Ukraine.
They agreed to start a “clear process” to enhance security and defense cooperation, also involving Nordic partners, Niinisto, 73, told reporters after their talks in Washington, DC. Asked whether that means Finland has nudged towards Nato membership, Niinisto said his country “has moved to a much closer cooperation with the US,” adding that refers to concrete actions “rather than any memberships.”
The debate on joining Nato has intensified in Finland and its bigger Nordic neighbor Sweden. Both countries have seen a historic shift in attitudes to military alignment with Nato since Russia’s attack, with about half the population now supporting entry.
It’s the third time the presidents are in direct contact in recent months, after phone calls in December and January. The two phoned Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson toward the end of the meeting, on Biden’s initiative, Niinisto said, without elaborating on the contents of the call.
The war in Ukraine has crippled one of the cornerstones of Finland’s foreign policy: maintaining good relations with Russia, forcing its policy makers to scramble. The Finnish border with Russia is the longest among European Union members, at around 1,300 kilometers.
The concern is that any bid to enter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization without security guarantees would risk making Finland more vulnerable.
In December, Biden told Niinisto that Finland’s decision to buy Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jets in a $11 billion warplane-fleet revamp would provide “a strong foundation for even closer bilateral defense ties for years to come.”