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Tuomo Saarni pondered what it would feel like for an entrepreneur who had built their small business for a couple of decades to have it destroyed in an instant without society being able to help. He described neighbors staying behind locked doors and the entrepreneur having to start over the next day. Saarni also wrote that the state would require the entrepreneur to continue paying taxes so that the people who destroyed his property could, in his view, exercise their freedom without regard for others. He criticized the press for reporting that the demonstration had the support of the neighborhood and regarded Western democracy and journalism as being in crisis. #yrittäjyys #demokratia #journalismi (translated)

Mika Merano announced that he will be a candidate for the Finns Party in the upcoming spring parliamentary elections in the Uusimaa electoral district. He named his main themes as fighting corruption, reforming the use of tax funds, and strengthening the status of the Finnish language and Finnish culture. Merano opposed, among other things, the dual roles of politicians in organizations, political appointments, and directing tax funds to the close circles of politicians. He demanded public impact reports on taxpayer-funded projects and believed that tax funds should benefit Finnish taxpayers. He also opposed development aid, projects that he described as ideological, and unprofitable EU funding requests. In language policy, Merano opposed mandatory Swedish and multiculturalism, which he viewed as narrowing Finnish traditions. He supported a unilingual Finland, conducting business in one's native language, and preserving Finnish cultural heritage. He also suggested that cuts affecting citizens should be made only as a last resort. Merano asked people to spread the word about his candidacy, to join his campaign team, or to support his campaign. He stated that donations would go to the Mika Merano Support Association and would be used entirely for the campaign. According to him, donations could be made via MobilePay to the number 47188 or to the association's account FI19 8146 9710 4278 49. He mentioned that the names of donors contributing at least 1,500 euros would be public. The campaign manager, according to Merano, is marketing professional and Kouvola city councilor Suvi Karell, who coordinates the campaign work. #Suomi #Eduskuntavaalit #Perussuomalaiset (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that it was difficult to say whether Germany's Alice Weidel and France's Marine Le Pen were imitators of Donald Trump or sympathizers of Vladimir Putin, and according to him, the difference may not necessarily have mattered for the outcome. He mentioned that Weidel had declared the war in Ukraine a defeat and demanded an end to Germany's support, while Le Pen wanted to limit France's financial support to Ukraine. According to Vanhanen, politicians aiming for power in Europe's large countries had a short-sighted attitude towards Russia, European history, and security. He warned Finland not to assume that the rest of Europe would inevitably follow the same path as Finland. He did not consider the AfD's entry into the German federal government in the coming years to be likely but assessed that the strengthening of political forces like the party would pose serious security policy problems. Vanhanen also wrote that the Kremlin was monitoring Europe's electoral calendars. According to him, Putin would have no reason to rush negotiations if he believed that Ukraine's supporters would be replaced by leaders who were less sympathetic to Ukraine. Vanhanen noted that Europe's center-right parties had not responded in a timely manner to citizens' immigration concerns, which had allowed room for radical alternatives. He viewed the problem not as a demand for stricter immigration policies, but in that these movements were also bringing to power forces that represented admiration for authoritarianism, opposition to Ukraine, and sympathy for Russia. He assessed that decisions about Europe's security would be made both on the battlefields of Ukraine and in European elections, emphasizing that this should also be understood in Finland. https://t.co/3s94O0WUiT #Eurooppa #Politiikka #Turvallisuus (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that he understands Volodymyr Zelensky's frustration with Donald Trump but criticized Europe for not intervening more actively in the negotiations. Vanhanen stated that Ukraine accepted a ceasefire proposed by the United States in the spring of 2025, which Vladimir Putin rejected. According to him, Trump threatened Russia with consequences, invited Putin to Alaska, and continued to seek a deal. Ultimately, according to Vanhanen, Russia's terms for peace were shaped to be acceptable to the Americans, after which Ukraine and European countries had to amend them. Vanhanen compared Putin's negotiation style to the Soviet style, which he associated with Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko: first, a lot is demanded, concessions are rejected, and it is expected that the opposing party will offer more. He assessed that Trump needed a visible agreement more than Putin, which is why, in his opinion, Russia could wait for new initiatives from the United States. Vanhanen criticized Trump for letting Russia's demands influence what Ukraine was pressured to concede. He questioned why Europe had not presented a joint peace proposal with Ukraine or jointly decided how to respond to Russia's next refusal. Vanhanen noted that the United States' influence is undeniable and its participation is necessary, but he believed that Trump should not be given exclusive rights to define the direction of the negotiations. In his opinion, Europe did not need to be ashamed of Trump's lack of historical knowledge or understanding of Russia's negotiating tactics, but Europe's passivity was still harder to defend. https://t.co/qs68FaMyfW #Ukraina #Eurooppa #Trump (translated)

Joakim Vigelius wrote that the Greens proposed in their recent program more services and support for the undocumented, as well as legalization for those who applied for asylum between 2015 and 2018 and are still residing illegally in Finland. He argued that those without papers or who are residing illegally in Finland should return to their home country. https://t.co/tK1GVaAkoR #maahanmuutto #turvapaikanhakijat #oikeudet (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that NATO's commander for European forces, Alexus Grynkewich, had described the alliance's strategic thinking in preparation for a possible Russian attack without revealing classified operational plans. According to Vanhanen, the speech aimed to convey that an attack on NATO territory would fail, and to reassure Europeans. He noted that the speech did not indicate, in his view, that NATO was anticipating an immediate attack. Vanhanen mentioned that Grynkewich summarized the theory of victory in three phases: the attack would be halted, its advance would be paralyzed, and if necessary, the military system supporting the attack would be broken. According to Vanhanen, this could mean strikes not only against the attacking troops but also against their logistics, command, and other support systems, if necessary, within Russian territory. The goal, in his interpretation, would not be to defeat Russia as a state, but to prevent it from seizing even part of NATO territory and pressuring the alliance to accept the situation. Vanhanen also highlighted from the speech that the plan took into account a situation where U.S. forces would be tied up in another war. He considered this a crucial issue for Europe and referred to the limited military resources of the United States and Trump's Russia policy, which he believed had made Washington's decisions difficult to predict. Vanhanen proposed that alongside NATO's plan, Europe needs its own plan for victory. Its goal would be for European NATO countries to be able to repel and defeat a large-scale conventional Russian attack over the next ten years even without U.S. combat troops. He believed this would require a joint assessment of the shortcomings in European defense, regular exercises without the assumption of U.S. participation, and binding decisions to correct the deficiencies. Vanhanen wrote that the purpose of a credible deterrent would be to make the initiation of war unprofitable for Russia. #Nato #Venäjä #turvallisuus (translated)

According to Antti Häkkänen, active international support had been built for the TNT factory in Finland, and the work had started to produce results. He reported that nearly 20 million euros of support from the United States had previously been announced for the project and that the EU had now granted it 30 million euros. According to Häkkänen, the project increased domestic defense industry and strengthened supply security. #huoltovarmuus https://t.co/oESsZEg0GA #puolustusteollisuus #kansainvälinen #tuki (translated)

Henri Vanhanen appealed to the President of the Republic and the Council of State to prepare without delay a joint, public and up-to-date security situation assessment for Finns regarding the threats from Russia, preparedness for them, and responses to them. He stated that he had repeatedly proposed such an assessment. Vanhanen wrote that Finland's intelligence services and European authorities had warned about Russia's sabotage and influence operations. According to him, Europe had seen sabotage projects targeting the defense industry, drone disturbances, assassination plans, and serious airspace violations. He added that according to the Security Police, possible sabotage targets had been identified in Finland. Vanhanen believed that serious sabotage or other hostile influence by Russia could also happen in Finland, and in his view, discussion should not be postponed until the first serious strike. He hoped that the assessment would convey the seriousness of the threats, the actions taken to counter them, and citizens' own preparedness measures. Additionally, Vanhanen suggested that the assessment explain Finland's actions together with its allies in serious disturbance situations, as well as the support offered by NATO membership, intelligence cooperation, and joint operational possibilities. He justified his proposal with the need for transparency and trust and expressed his hope that the government leadership would address it without delay. #turvallisuus #suomi #venäjä (translated)

The author claimed that Russia had mapped out targets for sabotage in Finland's defense industry and threatened the management of companies. He described the actions as a weakening intimidation by Russia, targeting what he claimed were Europe's will and Ukraine’s supply routes. The author called for improved protection and the continuation of support. #Suomi #Venäjä #Puolustus #FI #RU #UA #EU (translated)

The author estimates that Ukraine's counteroffensives severely weakened Russia's economy and the structures of civil society. He considered it likely that the focus was therefore on the western front, describing the West as the weakest link. Furthermore, he claimed that Putin was manipulating Trump and that U.S. support was dwindling. #Ukraina #Venäjä #politiikka #FI #RU #US (translated)

Saara Huhtasaari criticized Petteri Orpo's presentation of the National Coalition's 60 million euro fuel package and wrote that it would not lower the pump price of gasoline or diesel. She reported that Orpo had accused the Finns Party of stalling the package, to which Riikka Purra responded that it contained no measures to reduce pump prices. Huhtasaari agreed with Purra's assessment. According to Huhtasaari, road traffic in Finland consumed about 3.3–3.5 billion liters of fuel annually. If 60 million euros were distributed evenly, it would mean less than two cents per liter, she estimated. However, in her view, the package was targeted at commuting tax deductions and professional transport, and it would not be reflected in the filling station bill of an average motorist. Huhtasaari wrote that the pump price could be lowered by temporarily easing the distribution obligation or reducing fuel taxation. According to her, Purra and the Finns Party had proposed easing the distribution obligation, but the National Coalition and RKP did not support either measure. She criticized the package as a constructed image before the elections and claimed that the National Coalition was not ready to make decisions that would actually lower the price of fuel. #polttoaineet #suomi (translated)

Sharmarke Said Aw-Musse mentioned that he had considered writing about the discussions of the last few days, but assessed that it would not be constructive. Instead, he decided to go for a run and thanked those who had sent supportive messages, as well as those who had condemned the discussions surrounding Muslims. #keskustelu #tuki #juoksu (translated)

Mikko questioned whether coming to study in Finland could be financially viable if it equals 100 months' net salary. He wrote that a middle-aged student living in Espoo from Sri Lanka had paid 12,000 euros for the opportunity to study in Finland without any grants. According to Mikko, the average monthly earnings in Sri Lanka were 125 euros, so he believed it would not be worthwhile for the student to return to their home country for work. Mikko compared this amount to the situation where he himself would pay 300,000 euros to study for a couple of years in the United States. He doubted that training to become sufficiently good at a job in a few years would make the investment worthwhile, especially if the money had been borrowed with interest. https://t.co/yttO6zqpcg #Opiskelu #Koulutus #Maahanmuutto (translated)

According to the author, Europe had made its most significant sanctions decision to date, which was, in his view, aimed for the first time at the arms industry. He stated that the EU had imposed sanctions on 1,569 Russian individuals and companies. The author assessed that Trump's support for Putin would not dilute the impact of the decision, as the sanctions restricted purchases, and considered the decision to be excellent. #EU #pakotteet #sotateollisuus #FI #RU (translated)

Katriina Reponen expressed her support for Elina Hiltunen and JukMantu. She wrote that she believes that the Finns Party could defeat the Social Democrats if people's eyes were opened during the winter, and hoped that the party would then enter the government together with the Christian Democrats. #politiikka #Suomi #vaalit (translated)