Against the backdrop of war in Ukraine, Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) are diplomatically engaging on two fronts. On Friday Niinistö will call Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Marin is in Paris for an 'informal' EU Council summit.
Speaking to Iltasanomat, the Foreign Policy Institute’s director Mika Aaltola, noted that it is very important to keep these dialogue channels open.
"The right call, at the right time, while not the solution, may aid in resolving the conflict."
Aaltola also mentioned that Putin and Niinistö know each other well. The two heads of state have spent time together and kept in touch over the years, and Aaltola says that this is important, especially in Russian culture.
Niinistö refrained from discussing the contents of the call with the media. Aaltola says that this is partially because the situation is changing constantly in Ukraine.
"News gets old in 5 minutes, the situation is moving and dynamic."
Meanwhile in Paris, Marin met other EU heads of government at an EU Council meeting in Versailles.
The summit was initially planned to be focused on European investment and economic growth as France holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, but recent events have shifted the main focus to war in Ukraine.
After the leaders agreed a declaration that they would deepen co-operation with Ukraine, Helsingin Sanomat reports that Marin said she hoped this would be seen as a "message of hope" to Ukraine as its EU membership application is officially considered.
"Personally, I see that it is important to send a message of hope to the Ukrainians that there is a prospect for the future," said Marin. "However, we also need to be realistic about what the path may be. Here, too, the conditions for membership must be met."
According to Marin, Ukrainians must be given hope that they are a part of the West and that its future is in the West.
The Nordic countries had a diplomatic success to crow about, after Finland and Sweden managed to get a reference to the importance of the joint EU defence clause, Article 42.7, into the summit conclusions.
That clause mandates that EU countries must provide defence support if a member state comes under attack.
Would you like a roundup of the week's top stories in your inbox every Thursday? Then sign up to receive our weekly email!
Russian-owned apartment blocks in trouble
Helsingin Sanomat looks at the fate of a run-down apartment block in Hanko, south-west Finland, which is owned by Boris Rotenberg and his son Roman — close associates of Vladimir Putin, and dual Finnish-Russian citizens.
The apartment block was built in 1961 and is now in pretty poor condition as the Russian owners have not performed the thorough renovation required after they purchased it in 2004.
HS reports that the block is two-thirds empty, but there are still long-term residents there and they are concerned about how sanctions might affect their homes.
There have already been difficulties paying rent, as accounts connected to sanctioned individuals have been frozen. Bills have not been paid, with electricity supply in the common areas of the blocks cut off late last year.
District heating bills have been paid direct from Russia, but that is now likely to end with the isolation of Russian banks. Finland does not allow heating to be cut off during the winter months, but once spring sets in, the building could be disconnected. And it would not be reconnected until the debts are paid.
At that stage, the local municipality would step in. City Manager Denis Strandell says he's aware of the problem and has pondered it often — but there's one bigger question in his mind too.
"Why would an incredibly rich oligarch buy two Lappohja apartment blocks at the end of their useful lives?" asks Strandell rhetorically.
"There is no business sense in it at all."
Strandell says he suspects it might have been a possible base for the fabled 'green men' that Russia is suspected of using to carry out covert operations, as in Crimea.
HS did not manage to reach the Rotenbergs for comment.
War worries for Finns
Worry caused by the impacts of the war in Ukraine has led to an increased demand for non-perishables, passports, and cash, according to a report in Ilta-Sanomat.
A slight increase has been recorded in supermarket sales of non-perishable foods, while ATM's across Finland have been running out of cash due to increased withdrawals.
A demand for passports has led to congestion at police department's permit offices throughout Finland. The services are especially congested due to the low rate of passport renewals during the Covid pandemic.
According to a poll by Taloustutkimus, 74 percent of people in Finland said they were worried about Russia's military threat.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, there's been a clear increase in housing companies ordering checks of their civil defence shelters, says Teemu Kajava, CEO of Safetum.
Meanwhile motorists are also feeling the crisis in fuel costs increases. Kauppalehti reports that petrol pump prices increased to a record 2.5 euros on Thursday in three regions across Finland.
Bank experts warn that ending Russian energy imports will lead to short-term issues for a Europe that's dependent on Russian oil and gas. However, the biggest crisis will be the global food shortages in developing countries caused by the war and energy price increases.
The World Food Programme issued a warning last week that the war in Ukraine may lead to an unprecedented global food crisis, as both Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters.
Western disengagement not a given
The sanctions imposed on Russia are one thing, but public pressure has also been a big factor in the country's increasing isolation. Many Finnish firms announced their withdrawal from Russian markets in recent days, some after criticism on social media, and they are now scrambling to implement that decision.
Business daily Kauppalehti looks at the practicalities of leaving Russia for western firms who have announced their departures in recent days.
With Russia increasingly isolated from the international financial system, many banks sanctioned, and Russia's government not exactly keen to help, those with holdings in Russia are struggling to find a way out.
Mika Kokkonen, a lawyer based in Saint Petersburg, tells the paper that Finnish firms need to tread carefully. They have obligations to staff, customers and business partners, and those obligations can't be discarded lightly.
If they neglect those obligations, they could be targeted by tax authorities, or even have assets expropriated or nationalised.
Liquidating operations completely is not a sensible option, according to Kokkonen, as it would take around half a year. Finding a buyer for the business or reducing the presence to a minimum and continuing with a skeleton staff could be a better bet, with a new decision to come in three months' time.
The paper also asks Kai Hahl, a Finnish advertising exec in Saint Petersburg, for his thoughts. Not surprisingly, he suggests firms try to ensure they take care in phrasing their statements both in Finland and in Russia, so as not to unnecessarily burn any bridges.