Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) did not breach the law when she spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the possibility of Finland lending its decommissioned fighter jets, according to a decision by the Chancellor of Justice.
The topic came up during Marin's visit to Ukraine in March, when she mentioned the possibility of handing over its F-18 Hornet to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's invasion.
In a decision published on Monday, the justice chancellor noted that Marin had said that she was not able to make a decision about the issue herself and that her coalition government's term was coming to an end.
Consequently, the chancellor said, Marin did not make any solid promises or commitments about the matter during her conversation with Zelensky.
The chancellor noted that Marin also responded to a reporter's question about the jets at a press conference, but that also in this setting, the PM said that no decisions had been made about the issue.
Answering the reporter’s question at the time, Marin said that "there will certainly be a discussion about fighter jets. Various countries are weighing their own abilities to deliver this kind of military support. I think this could also be discussed in Finland. We know that we have made a decision about new fighter jets. We know the timetable for when we will receive new jets in Finland, and I think we can also have discussions in regard to the Hornets, whether it would be possible to hand [jets] over to Ukraine…but no decisions have been made. The discussions are in the very early stages," she added.
The statement appeared to catch other Finnish leaders by surprise.
The Finnish Government's Chancellor of Justice serves as the supreme guardian of the law.
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