On Tuesday, during his first visit to Ukraine since the start of the war, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö inspected war damage around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Niinistö visited the sites of bloody Russian attacks on civilians in the suburbs of Borodianka and Bucha, Finnish TV channel Yle reported. At Borodianka, the President received an artwork made from the lid of a Russian ammunition box as a welcome gift.
The atrocities committed in Borodianka and Bucha “must not go unpunished”, S. Niinistö then tweeted. “I am deeply impressed by the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people, soldiers and civilians,” he added.
In Kyiv, S. Niinistö met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Among other topics, the two men discussed the possibility of sending Leopard 2 advanced battle tanks to Ukraine.
Finland is the only non-NATO country with German-made tanks, S. Niinistö told a press conference. He also pointed out that Finland has a long border with Russia and this should be taken into account when considering arms shipments.
Finland, like its neighbor Sweden, has applied to join NATO, but the two have not yet been accepted into the military alliance.
S. Niinistö said he wanted to visit Ukraine and declare his country’s continued support. Recently, Finland announced that it would provide Ukraine with around 400 million euros. dollars worth of military equipment, including heavy artillery and ammunition.
Source: The Delfi
