Five years after the momentous meeting between Trump and Putin: Biden in Finland

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At the time, the US president, who openly threatened his country’s exit from NATO and rubbed shoulders with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in a memorable performance in Helsinki. Today the US president, who at the NATO summit in Vilnius again emphasized the importance of the alliance in times of war, which Putin provided.

There are worlds between a US president’s last visit to Helsinki and this Thursday’s, not least the all-changing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The impressions of the war finally convinced Finland, after decades of military non-alignment, to apply for NATO membership. The northernmost country of the EU has been an official member of the alliance since the beginning of April and – immediately after the NATO summit in Vilnius – will now receive a visit from the head of state and government of NATO’s most powerful ally: US President Biden is a guest .

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö initially wanted to receive the 80-year-old Biden at noon at the presidential palace in Helsinki for a bilateral meeting. A mini-summit was later planned with the heads of government of the other Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland, which would focus on closer cooperation on security, environmental protection and technology. Biden’s day in the Finnish capital should conclude in the evening with a joint press conference with Niinistö.

Biden has brought with him a clear message about the importance of NATO – and one that is very different from the message Trump sent in Helsinki five years ago. During his tenure, Biden’s predecessor repeatedly rumbled against NATO and repeatedly questioned its raison d’être. Biden, on the other hand, is completely different. The alliance remains a “bulwark of global security and stability,” Biden said in a speech at Vilnius University after the summit. The alliance is stronger, more energetic and tighter than ever.

Biden is also aware of the importance of Europe’s security to the United States. He regularly emphasizes the importance of strong alliances in a changing world, also in Vilnius. “That’s why, as president, I’ve focused so much on rebuilding and revitalizing the alliances that are the cornerstone of American leadership in the world.” Relations between Europe and the United States are an “anchor for global stability,” he stressed in front of jubilant Lithuanian students.

Biden shows a clear lead against Russian President Vladimir Putin, never tires of condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine and supporting the country under attack with billions. ‘We will not hesitate. We will not falter,” Biden shouted on stage in Vilnius. Putin still does not understand that the allies would never back down from their values. “Our commitment to Ukraine will not wane, we will stand up for freedom and independence, today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes,” Biden said.

Trump was very different: During his meeting with Putin on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, he held a memorable press conference and openly expressed doubts about US intelligence findings about Russian interference in the 2016 US elections – those elections in which the Republican eventually defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the battle for the White House. Trump immediately received fierce, cross-party criticism in the United States for his statements. This performance could not have gone better for Putin, but it did the United States a disservice. Later, under pressure, Trump backed down, claiming that he had promised himself and meant the exact opposite.

Such chaos is not to be expected from Biden. The US government and its partners in the Nordic capitals Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and Reykjavik are unanimous in their unequivocal condemnation of the Russian war in Ukraine. The northern countries have also provided Ukraine with numerous aid packages, military, financial and humanitarian.

Finland borders Russia over a length of about 1,340 kilometers, making it by far the longest border of all EU countries with the giant empire in the east. NATO’s external border with Russia has more than doubled with Finland’s accession. At its closest point, this border is only about two hours from Helsinki — but Biden is not allowed to visit it during his trip.

Of course Sweden’s hoped-for accession to NATO will also play a role in Helsinki. On the eve of the NATO summit, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson negotiated a deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end Turkey’s blockade of Sweden’s accession once and for all. However, statements by Erdogan after the summit showed that Sweden would have to be patient for months.

The US government, on the other hand, like NATO, hopes that the Swedes will be admitted as soon as possible. A few days before the summit, Biden assured Kristersson during a visit to the White House that the United States was eager for the entry of the “capable and committed partner” Sweden. There must therefore also be a signal from Helsinki that Sweden belongs to the group of NATO countries. The US, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland are all members – Sweden, on the other hand, still lacks Turkish and Hungary’s ratification to eventually become NATO’s 32nd member.

(SDA)

Source: Blick