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President Niinistö to meet Joe Biden in Washington on Friday

The presidents are to discuss Russia's attack on Ukraine, the war's impact on European security arrangements and bilateral co-operation between Finland and the United States, according to the statement. 

Sauli Niinistö.
President Sauli Niinistö travels to Washington DC on Friday. Image: Henrietta Hassinen / Yle
  • Yle News

President Sauli Niinistö is to meet United States President Joe Biden on Friday in Washington, the president's office stated in a press release on Thursday.

The presidents are to discuss Russia's war on Ukraine, the war's impact on European security arrangements, and bilateral cooperation between Finland and the US.

In addition to Biden, Niinistö is scheduled to meet other politicians in Washington. The Finnish president had earlier on Thursday said that Finland's security environment is changing quickly and dramatically.

Russia attacked Ukraine a week ago. British intelligence says that Russian forces' advance has slowed in recent days.

The UN says that more than 230 civilians have been killed in the first five days of the war. The UNHCR says that more than a million Ukrainians have fled the country.

In December Russia had demanded that western countries guarantee that, among other things, they would remove Nato forces from Eastern Europe, and promise that Ukraine would not join Nato.

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