A chill in Finnish-Russian relations
The recent conflict in Georgia put relations between Finland and Russia to the test.
According to newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, the conflict strained relations between the two countries. Russia in August decided to cancel a planned visit to Finland by Lieutenant-General Alexandr Burutsin, one of the leading figures in the Russian General Staff. In late September, two Russian officers did not attend an inspection visit to an Air Force base in Finnish Lapland. No cause was announced. Finland, which has chaired the OSCE the last months, has had to balance carefully during the crisis. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on several occasions accused the OSCE of playing “an ideological and political game” in the conflict. Still, while Finnish-Russian relations might soon be back on track, relations between Russia and Sweden might need some more time. According to Helsingin Sanomat Russian authorities has refused to meet with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who chairs the Council of Europe.
