Newsnight is here in Finland on the border land
between East and West.
The invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the reality
of Russian aggression - and has ignited an urgent national
debate - stay unaligned or join Nato, something
Vladimir Putin has warned
would bring serious military and political consequences.
The global fallout of the war in Ukraine brings
a crucial moment for Finland.
A time of unease and uncertainty.
Just as Finns welcome Ukrainian refugees, they are feeling
exposed to the threat of Russian expansionism.
We'll speak to Finland's President.
We don't as being neutral, but we are militarily non-aligned, so far.
And we'll hear a range of political, military and cultural voices
on the folly or wisdom of not only joining Nato
but joining it at speed.
Here in Ukraine President Zelenskyy has signalled that his country may
never join Nato.
Good evening from the Temppeliaukio Church -
cut into the granite rock which runs beneath the ground here in Helsinki,
the capital of Finland.
It's a country, of course, which shares an 830-mile border
with Russia, along with a shared history
and deep cultural and financial links.
Like its neighbour Sweden, the country is unofficially neutral
but both are members of the EU
and also cooperate closely with Nato.
But as the shockwaves of Russia's invasion of Ukraine 20 days ago
continue to reverberate across the world,
the biggest debate raging here now is about the country's security.
Since the moment Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine,
public and political support for joining Nato has surged.
So could the result of Putin's war be to push this closest
of neighbours ever more tightly into the arms of the West?
We'll make sense across the programme
of this key moment of decision for this country.
First, our diplomatic editor Mark Urban
assesses whether Finland is moving nearer to Nato.
In this country, public opinion is slow to change.
On matters like national security, even more so.
But now events in Ukraine have struck a chord
of fellow feeling.
Both countries were once part of the Russian Empire
and of Finland's own dark chapter of Invasion.
So now they're looking to allies for security.
I believe that eventually it will mean Nato membership.
Short term, I think the political leadership in Finland at the moment
is maximizing the security that it can get.
That's why our president went to Washington DC.
That's what Swedish leadership has been in Finland, and that's
why our president is going to the United Kingdom.
But in the long term, I think what you will see is a pathway
towards a membership.
I think we're pretty good at processes in Finland and I feel
that the train has left the station.
Until a few days ago, this was a modern city of wide streets
and tall buildings.
The Winter War, Stalin's invasion of Finland in 1939,
turned into a struggle for national survival.
It was also launched without apparent reason
following an incident manufactured by the Soviet Union.
Do you believe Russia's story that the Finnish army was planning
to invade innocent and peaceful Russia?
You believe the Finnish people are vicious warmongers
who shot down a harmless Russian plane over Helsinki?
Outside the defence ministry, there's a monument
to the Winter War, the end of which
is still commemorated annually.
In the wake of the Winter War, this country was forced
into a position of neutrality by its more powerful neighbour.
And that's how it weathered the Cold War years, but now
witnessing Ukraine's struggle, to choose its own path,
opinion has shifted very suddenly in Finland towards Nato membership,
and Russia has warned them against doing it.
That type of threat may just hasten a decision here,
according to this former chief of the defence staff,
who told us things could now move very quickly.
This is actually a very crucial question at the moment,
and that's why the president says that we shouldn't have extra delays
in this in this process, because it may escalate.
And and some politicians say that with our decision,
we might end up escalating this.
Member of Parliament Keemo Cloonan was opposed to joining
the Western alliance prior to the invasion of Ukraine,
but he's had to take
into account the change of national mood.
President Putin, his speeches and behavior have changed
drastically the environment.
I am very open now in a way that in Finland we are seriously
seriously studying the security situation.
There are more and more people in Finland who are really thinking
that maybe the option is to join in military alliance.
That means Nato and now starts only question when middle of a crisis,
it's very big potential of escalation.
And then we start to be involved in the game.
We don't want to be a ball in the game.
We want to participate in the game as a serious participant
and decide our own way.
With its 1300km border with Russia and large military,
an application to join Nato would mark a strategic turning point.
Little wonder that the Finns have been warned
of consequences by Russia.
Those threats, of course, may just convince this country
of the need to stay strong and belong
to the Western military club.
But the timing of that move would have to be careful.
I think this is actually going to happen faster than the next
elections, which will be held in Finland in April 2023.
So what I've been saying is that this is not our application.
That is it is not a matter of days.
It is not a matter of weeks.
But I am quite convinced that instead of it being a matter
of years, it is a matter of months.
Even if Russia ended the Ukraine war on terms to its liking,
the aftershocks being felt here mark a turning point.
For if Finland and perhaps Sweden join Nato
the Kremlin's war will have spurred the alliance's expansion
right on the Russian border.
Mark Urban there.
And we'll discuss this in a moment with a leading member
of Finland's government - first though, movement tonight
in Ukraine on that country's attitude towards Nato -
Yalda's in Lviv for us - Yalda.
Kirsty, four weeks now since this conflict began, we have seen
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's frustration play out in public. He
has even gone as far as saying that Nato members would have blood on
their hands if they didn't close these guys to Russian jets. He has
said that if the bombs don't stop -- if you didn't close the skies.
Today, we have heard him say and I'm going to quote "Ukraine is not a
member of Nato, we understand that, we have had for years that the doors
were open but we also heard that he could not join. It is a truth and it
must be recognised." It is not so much what he's saying that is new
because that is a truth that has been known in Kyiv and Brussels for
years, but it is more the timing that is significant now. The is that
the Ukrainians and Russians are sitting down, they had at least five
meetings in the past week and there have been certain concessions the
Russians have asked more. You will remember that one of the
justifications from the Russian side for this invasion has been the
desire Ukraine's side to join Nato. Russians have said that one of our
demands is that you put in your constitution that you will not ever
want to become part of Nato, and that you will be neutral, so we are
to see these signs from the Ukrainian side, as the bombs
continue to fall, for the Ukrainian people to experience this ongoing
shelling. Tonight, also, we have had the prime ministers of Poland,
Slovenia and the Czech Republic arriving in Kyiv to meet with
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, so the international community
continues to show solidarity here for the people of Ukraine, but the
Ukrainian authorities, the leadership, they want the bombings
and shelling to stop, they want the 3 million people that have left this
country, and there are predictions, I was speaking to someone from the
Atlantic Council today, saying that those numbers could go upwards of 10
million at this conflict continues, they want people not to pour out in
this mass exodus, they want the war to stop so we may see a concession
on the side of the Ukrainians. Kirsty, over to you.
Thank you, Yalda.
So how is Finland reacting to the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
Joining me now to discuss this is the country's
Minister for Development, Cooperation and Foreign
Trade, Ville Skinnari.
Good evening to you. We will come to work President Zelenskyy has said
today in a minute or two. Right now I want to ask, is the more than
doubling of support for Nato membership in the last couple of
weeks because people are watching what is happening in Ukraine and
here that it may well happen here? Well, very good evening from
Slovakia, from Bratislava. The fact is that the Finnish people are
concerned, and it is natural. But, as a country, we are not afraid stop
we are well prepared for crises, and we are well prepared for this
situation. But, Finland is reacting on this situation. We evaluate and
analyse the situation with our best experts. And, within the Parliament,
we are discussing, in a very in-depth way, and the process is
there now, so it is a new situation, we take it seriously, and the
process is there. We have just
process is there. We have just heard from Yalda that today for the first
time President Zelenskyy was talking down the idea that Ukraine might
join Nato. He said it was very clear he didn't think it was going to
happen and that is the first time he has said that outright. Are there
risks for fiddling and moving in the other direction at a time when there
is may be cooling down in Ukraine? In Finland, in our recent history
and even now, we have been is very strategic when it comes to our
foreign security policy. There is a very vast parliamentary consensus
for this way of approaching the foreign security policy, but, of
course, we have to react to this situation, and that is why we have
established this process, but we have to also bear in mind that,
unlike some other countries, Finland has invested significantly into our
own defence, which means that the performance but also the resilience
as a whole.
as a whole. So, we know the support among the public is increasing for
joining Nato in Finland. But, obviously the politicians are
divided. That would help enormously that cause for the politicians but
that is not going to happen, is it? In Finland, in all big decisions,
and I would say this is the biggest decision, talking about foreign and
security policy, it is important that we have as best consensus as
possible and I am very confident that within this process and with
this process, we will work on this consensus, and we will make a
careful analysis and at the end of the day it is for the Parliament to
make the ultimate decisions. You may just have heard the former president
of Finland saying that he thinks it will be months, it actually might
come in April at the election. You are expecting an update on the
defence report that will be laid before parliamentary committees to
look at the prospect. Is it your view that you might actually have a
decision on your desire to join Nato, and the consequence of that,
even your own decision would mean, for Vladimir Putin was back attitude
towards Finland, as early as April next year?
I believe you mean the former Prime Minister if I understood right. I am
so sorry. And for me as a Cabinet minister I have to respect the
process. In the process takes what it takes. But there is commitment
from the government that we are ready to make decisions but at the
end of the day it is for Parliament to have that debate and make the
decisions. But we are prepared. Let me ask you directly, you had another
warning from President Putin that any move towards joining Nato would
be considered an act of hostility and bring both political and
military response. Your border is 830 kilometres long, you're not yet
in Nato just as Ukraine is not yet in later and it is a big because
presumably the alliance could not come to your aid if they did not
come to the aid of Ukraine? Finland is a sovereign state is making its
own decisions.
own decisions. And we have strong bilateral ties with Sweden, we have
more and more deep cooperation with Nato. We are improving our bilateral
ties with the United States. We have different trilateral and
multilateral arrangements for instance with the UK. So all in all
we are prepared well. And actually these comments from Russia, there is
nothing new in those. Minister, thank you very much indeed.
The Finnish President leads the nation's
foreign policy and is the supreme commander
of the country's defence forces.
Our International editor Gabriel Gatehouse interviewed
the incumbent Sauli Niinisto in London, hours before he met
with Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday, ahead of meetings
of the Joint Expeditionary Force grouping of nordic
and Baltic nations.
Gabriel started by asking Mr Niinisto how the past few weeks
had changed Finland's calculation on its neutrality.
We don't consider Finland being neutral, but we are military
non-aligned so far, because membership in the European Union,
our deep enhanced partnership with Nato,
that all means that we are not neutral.
But last week's events, they have had a huge impact
on Finnish minds, and the majority of Finns have been quite satisfied
with our security solutions.
Nothing bad has happened for decades.
But I would say that according to the latest poll,
it's 62% of population supporting.
Supporting Nato membership?
So it's more than doubled.
Yeah.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has threatened serious military
and political consequences if you join Nato.
Yes.
One of the alternatives is surely to continue, not like this,
but having a keen cooperation with Sweden, maybe looking
for more support like I did in Washington and even here.
That includes risks.
And then another alternative is joining,
or applying Nato membership.
And the risks,
I don't believe that Russia will come with tanks.
Against Finland, you don't believe that?
No, I don't believe that there will be a war.
But the hybrid...
Hybrid war from Russia, that's the threat?
Hybrid to at least influence.
And surely that would mean also that our border line,
there would be more tension going on.
Is Nato the answer to that?
Not directly.
But we are cooperating with Nato already on those issues,
like all the other EU countries.
You spoke to President Putin, what, at the end of last week?
Yes, Friday.
Did you discuss the issue of Finland's Nato membership?
Actually, I had a discussion with President Zelensky a bit
earlier, and we concentrated only on Ukrainian crisis
and whether there would be any possibilities
to find peaceful solutions.
So you didn't bring up Finlanbd's Nato membership?
I didn't bring up Nato and he didn't take it up.
We had a discussion dealing with that earlier on.
That was already in December.
When they published their list
of demands where also was mentioned that Nato enlargement to East.
And then I just said that, well, we are making our own decisions.
We are a sovereign country, so this doesn't concern us.
And what did he say to that?
Nothing.
That's the way of discussion every now and then goes.
He puts his argument, I put mine.
And then he is silent?
Then he is silent.
When you spoke to him last,
what was your impression of his state of mind?
He was very determined with Ukraine.
I surely took up that, you're having a warfare
there, killing innocent civilians in Kyiv, in Kharkov,
in Mariupol, and that there should be an immediate cease fire.
He didn't actually react otherwise than by saying
that they avoid civilian casualties.
And I asked him whether the demand of changing the government
in Ukraine, have you have you given up that?
And he immediately said that, no, I have never demanded it.
Your country has a long and complicated history with Russia.
War with Russia is within living memory.
In quite many ones.
Yeah.
How have the events of the past few weeks affected people's psyche
in your country?
Well, now it has been peaceful almost 80 years.
But nevertheless, it still is in memory.
And that's why Russia has always been followed very carefully,
what they are doing, and what they are not doing.
We know what's happening and surely that worries us a lot.
Sauli Niinisto, thank you very much.
Thank you.
Joining me here in Helsinki is retired General Jarmo Lindberg,
the former Finnish Chief of Defence, Elina Valtonen, MP for
the National Coalition Party, and remotely from the town
of Lappeenranta, Jani Makela, MP for the Finns Party.
If I could ask you, Jani, you are the second biggest party in the
Finnish Parliament and she did not support Nato, joining Nato, are you
out of step? We have not any official standing when it comes to
Nato in our party. We are not against membership, we support the
government action to negotiate and clarify our possibilities of joining
Nato and then we will make decisions about our position. My understanding
was you feel the time has almost passed and in fact it should have
been a long time ago if you are going to join. Many people in
Finland think Finland should have joined Nato and the Baltic countries
and East Europe joined and when we joined the EU but that is passed and
we cannot change it. We have to work in this day. Do you think there are
risks of even applying given what we've just heard about Vladimir
Putin, we know it is not his first threat and you had your colleague
saying that actually there is no surprise in that but is there not a
pause for thought that actually there could be an act of Russian
aggression on Finnish soil if you sought to apply to Nato?
sought to apply to Nato? As the people before me said this is not
the first time that we've heard these kind of threats. And even if
we take them seriously we are a sovereign country that makes its own
decisions. But I think many people that still want to join Nato in
Finland would like to hear a message from big Nato member states that we
would be welcome in Nato. And also that some kind of protection would
be on us during the process. It would be a fraught decision and it
would indicate the speed of it would rile Vladimir Putin. The president
talked about a hybrid war that might follow, what is meant by that?
Another means of interfering with our sovereignty or our security so
for instance sending in numbers of refugees across the border for
instance as has been tried actually buy it Vladimir Putin himself some
years ago in northern parts of Finland and there also as we
observed at the border to Poland from Belarus. Just a few months ago.
So similar to that but obviously it could be anything else as well for
instance interfering with our electricity systems or whatever. So
cyber warfare. And of course they are adept at cyber warfare as a
tried and tested tactic of Vladimir Putin's Russia. What kind of things
are people asking you as a politician, what are the concerns on
the street and the concerns of Europe and the chance? Most people
have concerns and it is natural that people did think about the risks of
taking perhaps a new step. But I tend to say there is no risk-free
option and the number is so we just need to carefully ponder which would
be the best decision for Finland, taking the long term into account.
We're not talking about next week or next month. But the long-term. And
Finland is a western country. Your colleague was saying he wanted to
hear from big Nato countries that you are welcome and already there is
close cooperation between Finland and Nato. What is your sense, would
there be as it were a probationary period, what do you think the Nato
response would be to a direct question? What we hear and what the
president and our government officials and also myself as an MP,
we've been meeting with people from different Nato countries and
everyone has been committed to the policy of open doors and I would
like to emphasise also that Finland is as a security provider when it
comes to defence as we have a very strong defence force and we have
always taken security very seriously. They say you have a
conscription army. That as well. General, you have watched relations
and been part of that relationship with Russia and dealing with that as
your former Chief of defence, is there a risk to other Nato
countries? The UK included, if indeed you apply to join Nato and
indeed become part of it, is there a danger of destabilising the region?
Is a that been debated. Is it destabilising or stabilising? Some
people say it is a stabilising factor is Finland and Sweden were to
join Nato. And then it would be kind of a stable prediction of what would
happen in the future and how they would act as part of Nato. And some
people say that staying with the old is always a sense of stability. We
are not seeing current moving in the same direction in Sweden, -- not
seen the polls moving in the same direction, so would you want Sweden
to go in with you? The discussion has been that Finland and Sweden are
going side by side and Sweden has been moving in the same direction
all the way. You have a good track record in combat with Russia.
Obviously the Winter War. But modern warfare is a completely different
thing. It would be easy for a long-range bomber to hit and
obviously you are 20 kilometres from the Russian border and it would not
take much to have an incursion. Of course you need a combination of
modern capabilities, cyber capabilities and long range
precision strike capabilities but Finland has still the large reserve
and it has the combination, we both. How do you think, Jani, that Finland
would react if asked to have nuclear weapons on your soil. The US of
course has nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Turkey, the
Netherlands. How do you think Finland would react to that idea? I
do not think this question has been very much discussed in Finland at
the moment because we are not members of Nato and do not have any
kind of foreign troops on our soil. So this is an issue that must be
discussed during possible Nato membership negotiations.
What do you think of that as Matt Prior is that a very big step for
Finland? Absolutely, we'll be starting the process in Parliament
in a few weeks' time when the government will be presenting a
revised policy on security, so basically, a new report on security
policy which will then be processed in due course in Parliament over the
course of a few weeks and probably items relating to the risks and
threats that you talk about. Jani, as a former chief of defence, what
do you think, in a condition of Finland joining Nato was to take
nuclear weapons, would you think that would play well well with the
Finnish people? It is up to the government, the negotiating being
ongoing, to make a decision, and, like Norway, we can make a decision
that there are no Nato troops in peacetime and no nuclear weapons.
You talked about the risks and the benefits. Do you think Nato would
actually be helped by Finland's membership? You would become the
bull walk, 830 miles of bull work, against Russia.
against Russia. -- the bulwark. Finland would have 1340 kilometres
which would double the Nato border with Russia but Finland is a
security provider, we are well prepared with a large reserve, and
we have capabilities of long-range precision strike as an example,
along with Poland we have the biggest field artillery in the whole
of Europe so we are a security provider. Briefly, do you think it
will happen that you will join Nato? It is up to the process that has
been referred to so many times. I am not the right person to guess how it
will end up. At the moment there seems to be a momentum towards Nato
and it is obvious from the numbers. Thank you very much indeed.
If Finland joins Nato, its 1,300km border
with Russia will become Nato s eastern front.
We ve heard about the history of war between the two countries,
but how do people living on this potential new frontier feel,
and what s been the impact of Putin's aggression on previously
close relationships between Finns and Russians who live here?
In South Karelia, officials say the absence of Russian tourists
crossing to Finland is costing the region 1m euros a day.
There are more than 2,000 Russian speakers in Lappeenranta,
the biggest city in the region.
Sima Kotecha has been to assess the mood along the border
of the frontier nation.
A thousand or so miles from Kyiv,
Imatra might look like a different world, but the repercussions
of the war there are only too real for those living here.
With Russia just minutes away, the prospect of this becoming
Nato's new frontier suddenly feels closer than ever before.
My house is like 300 metres from the Russian border.
And everybody has something to say about it.
I hope that Nato will be our solution.
It's not a total cure, but it's some kind of,
some kind of security anyway.
Normally we've been with Russia and they're very good friends,
you know, and very good neighbors.
Of course, there has been some arguments and everything,
but still we've been getting along quite nicely.
But now when we go to Nato, it can be changed radically also.
It's not quite in living memory, but the scars
left from the last time an expansionist Russia
invaded its neighbour run deep.
We fought 105 days against them and never surrendered,
but we were alone.
I remember the words of my father, who was a war veteran,
a fighter pilot.
He died ten years ago.
He said that if we have the chance, never more alone.
The last time Russia invaded, Finnish soldiers blew up this tank
right by the border.
More than 70 years on, and the two countries
have been working closely together, but the conflict
means that relationship is once again changing.
Here is an illustration of how close we are to Russia.
If you look behind me, you can see that watchtower in the distance.
Well, that's it.
Now, this border, which was closed during the pandemic,
was expected to be open again.
Now freight is still going through, but it's closed to tourists
from both sides and those Finns that were regularly
going over to Russia to get their cheap petrol,
well, they're not able to do that either.
So those important links between both sides
have now been severely severed as a result of the war.
Ice hockey and other winter sports are some of the main attractions
luring in Russians from across the border.
But its closure means less money coming in.
The impact on the economy of this region for the border,
it's really huge. It's one million euros per day.
Our location has been like our strategic advantage.
We are the gateway to Russia.
But now the gate is closed.
The frozen terrain isn't all the countries have in common.
They share strong cultural and economic ties.
And in the region's biggest city, there are at least
2000 Russian speakers.
The community is well integrated, but we're told the war has changed
attitudes, with some saying they've experienced
an anti-Russian sentiment.
As we have heard from our friends, Russian native friends,
it's getting a little bit tense
and they feel that there is a little bit aggressive talking.
There are a small minority who is now getting more loud,
and they are saying that Russian should go there
from where they came from.
And there's concern that discrimination against Russians
could trigger a reaction from Vladimir Putin.
Politicians are taking steps to maintain harmony by holding
meetings for Russians to speak openly about
their feelings and experiences.
I and some people in the city, we wanted to meet
with people with Russian background, to just to have a talk
and establish a connection to avoid any possible trouble in the future.
There will come a day when we have to cut the ties to Russia.
We have to cut the strings - and now is the time.
It hurts a while.
If you take quickly a plaster away, it hurts a while, but then it heals.
Peace and tranquility isn't hard to find here, and it's hoped
that continues as it has done for decades,
as the war rages on.
Sima Kotecha.
We can now speak to the writer and playwright,
Sofi Oksanen - and the director
First of all, how much has Finnish culture being shipped by its
proximity to the sorry Union and obviously to Russia?
obviously to Russia? Because we want to know our history, this was
especially important in the years when political discourse, the public
debate was cautious and problematic, but in literature, actually, people
could find the stories they could identify with. In literature and
fiction it wasn't fiction, people spoke more openly but explain
exactly what Finlandisation was and till recently still is. It was a
policy where Finland had to, it was a submission to the will of a strong
neighbouring country, that is the Soviet Union, and that affected
everything, economic, defence, media, there was no free press,
culture, education, it was part of everyday life. Just talking more
about Finlandisation, how in the past Finns have viewed Russian
aggression, so for example Hungary 56, Czechoslovakia 68, was there a
revulsion at that in Finland not? Every time, yes, whatever Russia
starts we are reacting to that. We might seem like we are not reacting
but we are. Now, all of the people in care homes, for example, they
strongly believe this, you know? Do you think there is a degree of
uncertainty and panic about what is going to happen, and politicians are
feeling that this will be the will of Parliament but in the streets,
what do you think people are feeling? My Finnish grandfather was
a war veteran and my Estonian grandfather was, resisting the
Soviet occupation of Estonia, so we have resistance to dictatorship is
my inheritance, not panicked. We have been living here like always
and we defend our country. And do you think, actually, when you hear
politicians speak, that you think this will be pushed forward, that we
actually will have this move towards Nato fairly quickly? The support for
Nato is very strong at the moment. If Finland denounces Russia what
will the impact business? We have strong ties with the Russian
business side, 5% of total exports after Russia. But it is only half of
what it used to be. So, there would be some reaction most probably but
we are not very concerned, because Finnish business supports Finland as
Nato members. So business is solid on this, it supports Nato
membership, half of the Russian exports to Finland are oil, how
quickly can fill pivot away from Russian oil? -- can Finland pivot.
Natural gas is much more difficult to replace. Oil is easier, and it is
possible. Only 5% of our total energy mix is natural gas. That is
how we differ from central Europe. Our households are not dependent on
gas. When you had people in our film talking about the fact that Russian
tourism is worth 1 million euros a week, that is a very big hit for the
eastern part of Finland. That is very important. It has been our
number one tourist group, Russians, but it dropped by 95% in 2020 when
we had this Covid year, so, the number of Russian tourists has
collapsed, actually during the Covid. You hear that a number of
anti-Russian people have been expression anti-Russian sentiments.
Would a kind of severing of links with Russia have a profound impact,
do you think on Finland? There is a danger of anti-Russian sentiment.
Many people have Russian speaking friends. But you know, Finland has
had a kind of psychological lab for the power of the Soviet Union and
the Soviet power studied and explored, one of their favourite
tools in Finland which was the reflex to control, and they used
that knowledge, also, when they wanted to help Donald Trump to
become president of the United States, so these tools should have
been learned. You have written in one of your novels about Ukraine. I
wonder are you addressing this present situation now, in
literature, or in conversations with other writers? Of course, of course.
Because it is a very important country, Ukraine. Thank you both
very much indeed.
That's all from us here in Helsinki.
You saw Mark earlier here in Finland, but he's now
made his way on for the next stop on our series of
special programmes this week - tomorrow we'll be coming
live from Berlin.
In a few short weeks, Germany has overturned
the policies of years.
Deciding to ship weapons to Ukraine, to cut its dependence on Russian
energy, and to give a huge funding boost to the military.
This
We will be examining how that happened and what it means
for the rest of Europe.
Join us tomorrow night on Newsnight from Berlin.
For now, from all of us here in Helsinki - goodnight.
thank you for joining us.