Summary:
According to an editorial in Ilkka, the details of the case of GPS jamming during NATO exercise in Finland have not been opened, but the Ministry for Foreign Afffairs said that Russia was involved. The latter denied involvement and demanded concrete proofs, which is unlikely to come, as both Norway and Finland would reveal to Russia the accuracy of their own technology.

According to the editorial, the matter has shifted to the diplomatic level, but details of the debate between the State Secretary and the Ambassador of Russia are not reaching the public. However, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has informed that air safety is of interest to both parties. The Ministry demands more information and responsible action from Russia, but it is unknown what has been Russia’s response to Finland’s request.

The editorial states that the case is not to be treated lightly, as its timing for the NATO exercises was carefully planned and it was a jab at Finland for its NATO connection. Finland’s Foreign Affairs Committee was expected to receive a statement from Foreign Minister Timo Soin (sin.) on Thursday about the direction in which the case has been going.

Minister Soini has said that a discussion about the GPS jamming case continues with Russia. The Russian Ambassador to Finland Pavel Kuznetsov was invited to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Monday. Mr Soini did not comment on Monday about details of the talks between Mr Kuznetsov and Foreign Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Matti Anttonen.

It was, in his view, a debate, not a talk, but the fact that such a conversation has been arranged at all indicates that this is a serious matter. Mr Soini said in Brussels that the discussion went on in good spirits. He noted that Finland typically takes care of issues such as this one bilaterally.

« We have had a clear idea that the disruption has come from the Russian side. We have demanded answers and discussion has taken place. I believe this debate will continue in some form, » Mr Soini said.

Keskisuomalainen has noted that Prime Minister Juha Sipilä had stated that the suspected GPS jamming was deliberate. He did not elaborate on what the objective of the act may have been, but did say that Russia was known to have the capabilities to carry it out.

According to Yle, head of the ministry’s security policy and crisis management unit Sari Rautio said that both sides in the discussion showed interest in aviation safety, but that no further concrete steps were agreed. It is unclear what a possible follow-up on the request for additional information would be. ms Rautio declined to comment further on Mr Kuznetsov’s response to the issue at the meeting, but said it was a normal diplomatic interaction, carried out in a positive spirit.

According to a statement by the Russian Embassy on Monday, Finland provided no evidence to prove that the source of disruption was located in Russia. « We received no information proving that the jamming source was located in Russia. In this regard, we believe that a thorough expert dialogue, involving the relevant agencies from the countries of the region, is necessary for the consideration of such situations, » Ambassador Kuznetsov stated.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Russia had no information about GPS failures or its possible involvement.

Media:  Ilkka , Ilta-Sanomat, Keskisuomalainen, Savon Sanomat (E-edition), YLE
Date: 20.11.2018
Journalist: STT: Anniina Luotonen, Nina Törnudd, Hannu Aaltonen
Main source:

Summary:
Ilta-Sanomat has reported that Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö had spoken in favour of shared European defence for years, and now he has received support from both France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel.

German Chancellor Merkel spoke at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday and she said the European Union should establish a joint army. French President Macron and European Commission President Juncker have also spoken on behalf of a European army.

According to Ms Merkel, EU joint defence is a supplement to NATO, and it is time for Europe to take its fate into its own hands. Ms Merkel also emphasised tolerance and solidarity in her speech. She said the EU needs a joint approach to immigration.

President Niinistö said he was pleased that the matter is being discussed, but stated that it is about deeper security cooperation rather than a common army. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spoke about a common army five years ago, but it is important to understand this correctly. The EU has 28 armies and NATO also relies on the armies of its member states.

Mr Niinistö pointed out the fact that NATO has no own army at all. NATO relies on the national armies of its members. A European army would be something like that – close cooperation with the defence sector. He noted that common troops are hard to define as a term and lead to misguided perceptions.

Media:  Ilta-Sanomat (E-edition, PDF) , Ilta-Sanomat (E-edition, PDF)
Date: 15.11.2018
Journalist: Mika Lehto
Main source:

Summary:
An editorial in Ilta-Sanomat has stated that Finnish top politicians have reacted strongly to the allegations that Russia had been jamming the GPS signal in his Finland’s northern airspace during the recent Nato military exercise Trident Juncture 2018.

President Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, Foreign Minister Timo Soini, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Matti Vanhanen, and Chairman of the Defence Committee Ilkka Kanerva condemned the incident. Mr Soini also promised to issue a statement to the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Kremlin has disputed the allegations. The editorial states that even if no « smoking gun » could be found, Finland should object to Russia’s violation of its airspace.

An editorial in Iltalehti noted that Prime Minister Sipilä said he believed that the GPS signal jamming had deliberately demonstrated the ability to use the means of modern hybrid warfare, and that it is a confirmation of having these abilities.

Mr Sipilä also emphasized that this was not a small matter because the civil aviation security has been compromised. During an interview with Yle, the Prime Minister said it was possible that Russia might have been the disruptive party in the incident.

According to President Niinisto, the intrusion into the Finnish territory via electronic signals is comparable to territorial encroachment.

Kainuun Sanomat has reported that Russia had denied the accusations of GPS jamming in the Finnish airspace. Russian Press Secretary Dmitri Peskov said at a press conference on Monday that he had no information indicating Russian involvement in the incident.

An article in Ilta-Sanomat noted the existence of the R-330Zh Zhitel system. It is a mobile station with a frequency range covering GPS signals, as well as signals from European and Chinese satellites. Zhitel’s purpose is to interfere with communications and data connections.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has reported that Zhitel had been used to interfere with unmanned aerial equipment used by the organization in Eastern Ukraine.

Media:  Iltalehti, Ilta-Sanomat, Ilta-Sanomat, Kainuun Sanomat
Date: 12.11.2018
Journalist: Iltalehti: Juha Keskinen
Main source:

Summary:
Verkkouutiset reports that according to a European Policy Centre (EPC) study: « Finland in the European Union: Frontrunner or follower », Finland is only average in European affairs. Finland makes positive statements about, for example, the internal market but then holds on to many blocks to the free mobility of goods, services, capital, and labour, says senior policy analyst Annika Hedberg.

Finland ranks well in terms of the digital internal market, digital skills, public services, and mobile networks. EPC researcher Paul Ivan said that Finland should intensify its defence and security co-operation with Europe. However, the problem is that, according to Ivan, Finland is not of interest to other EU countries. Finland follows Germany’s defense policy, but Germany does not see Finland as a strategic partner.

Mr Ivan pointed out that in recent years, Finland had become known as a loud defender of the security guarantees offered by the EU. However, the true meaning of the phrase is still unclear. Some 21 of the 28 EU member states belong to NATO. For them, the EU’s own security guarantees will always come after those by NATO.

The article in Kauppalehti mentioned that when it comes to environmental issues, Finland cannot be considered a pioneer. For example, Finland has too narrow a view on environmental issues as it bets on the use of biomas an biofuels. This, according to the think tank, is an example of a narrow-minded policy that focuses on national interests.

Media:  Kauppalehti , Verkkouutiset.fi
Date: 13.11.2018
Journalist: Heli Satuli
Main source: n/a

Summary:
Iltalehti has reported that the Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will meet the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on 15 November. They will discuss i.a. the transatlantic cooperation, European security, response to hybrid threats and other topical issues.

Mr Soini will also meet members of the Congress and discuss with representatives of think tanks. According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the discussions highlight the impact of the interim on US policy, relations between the European Union and the United States, and the future of the statutory system.

Media:  Iltalehti
Date: 12.11.2018
Journalist: Antti Pajamo
Main source: