Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen (Cen) said on Monday that he hopes the United States will return to international organisations and negotiations.
Speaking in Helsinki at the occasion of the formal opening of Finland’s 235th annual national defence course, Kaikkonen said that once the outcome of last week’s presidential election has been clarified, there will be growing hope that the country might be returning to the negotiating table.
During President Donald Trump’s term in office, relations with Europe have deteriorated and the USA has withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement, the Iran nuclear deal aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear programme, and the Open Skies Treaty, which promotes mutual unarmed aerial surveillance of treaty members’ territory.
Last weekend, Joe Biden was declared the provisional winner of the presidential election.
"In the field of defence, the United States has been a key partner for us and I believe that this will now continue," Kaikkonen said.
The minister said that he expects that US foreign policy will become clearer in the near future once the election result is confirmed and the administration begins to pay out its agenda.
He added that Russia is a central figure from Finland’s security perspective, and noted that the eastern neighbour has shown a capacity to use a large array of tactics, of which military power is a key part.
Kaikkonen cited a recent foreign and security policy report, which painted a "dark but realistic" view of Finland’s defence environment. The analysis highlighted the fact that tensions had also increased in neighbouring areas.
The foreign and security policy report will be followed by a defence analysis which is due to be presented to Parliament for the second time next spring.