After decades of peaceful coexistence on Russia\u0027s borders, the Finns relinquished neutrality and sought shelter within the military alliance.
Our second meeting is virtual, and in spite of his navy suit and tie — diplomats have long dressed in dark blue and black — the normally reserved ambassador is quite animated by Finland’s formal admission to NATO. Behind him, the office appears minimalist: hardwood floors, white walls, and three flags planted on a window ledge.
The door to joining NATO was always open, Roy answers, but it was understood that a government decision wouldn’t happen without a referendum. “That thinking went out of the window when Russia brutally attacked again,” Roy continues. “Russia had already annexed Crimea in 2014, and last year, in February, it was citizens who demanded that Finland join NATO.
“Sisu” is the trait in Finns’ national character often cited to explain their grim determination in the face of hardship. It doesn’t sound much like happiness, but Roy assures me there is a correlation: “We have a very severe climate, like in Canada, and during the agrarian society, you didn’t survive if you didn’t plan ahead and if you didn’t cooperate.
What’s in store for the future of Canada-Finland relations? Finland doesn’t need Canada’s oil and gas. The Finns have hydropower, and are investing heavily in offshore wind and nuclear power. But collaborating to figure out ways to speed up the mining and processing of critical minerals for electric vehicles is a shared priority, Roy suggests.
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While Canada starves NATO, Finland happily embraces itAfter decades of peaceful coexistence on Russia\u0027s borders, the Finns relinquished neutrality and sought shelter within the military alliance.
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While Canada starves NATO, Finland happily embraces itAfter decades of peaceful coexistence on Russia\u0027s borders, the Finns relinquished neutrality and sought shelter within the military alliance.
Lire la suite »
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