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Henri Vanhanen wrote that he doubted whether Vladimir Putin had a realistic understanding of the situation in the war in Ukraine or whether he would be willing to accept information contrary to his own views. Vanhanen assessed that in Russia's system, reporting bad news to the leadership could be dangerous and that the military leadership, subordinates, or the president's inner circle might distort or filter information. Vanhanen referred to a recent assessment by the think tank ISW, which stated that Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in northern Donetsk had shattered Russia's plan to encircle the region's key defensive cities from two directions. According to him, Russia's goal of capturing the entire Donetsk region appeared to be further away as a result. Vanhanen wrote that Putin might continue the war to achieve unrealistic goals if he believed that Russia was closer to victory than reality suggests. He deemed it even more concerning that Putin might be receiving accurate information but did not want to believe it. Vanhanen emphasized that Russia's military failure, in his view, might not necessarily change Putin's goals or his desire to continue the war. He believed that an unrealistic situational picture could lead to the prolongation of the war and taking greater risks, and he appealed for continued support for Ukraine and to resist Russia's military pressure. https://t.co/Lb2advefv2 #Ukraina #Putin #sota (translated)

Jari Mäkäräinen criticized an article in Helsingin Sanomat and said he had made corrections to it. According to him, the nonfiction writer Ari Haasio and Mattila had suggested that Finnish identity was ambiguous, compared the mistrust faced by evacuees from Karelia to current fears directed at Muslims, and stated that everyone was a descendant of immigrants. Mäkäräinen wrote that migration was an old phenomenon, but migrations from different times could not be equated. He noted that the first people arrived in what is now Finland about 11,000 years ago and believed that this did not provide a basis for equating the current migration from Afghanistan or Somalia with the arrivals of earlier traders, craftsmen, or industrial founders. He described Finlayson as an actor that built factories in capital-poor Finland, brought technology, and created jobs. Mäkäräinen compared him to a Mohammed coming from Somalia, who he described as illiterate and dependent on Kela support. He believed these examples illustrated different types of migration and claimed that there were differences in education, employment, cultural distance, and criminality. He also claimed that those coming from Afghanistan were overrepresented in rape statistics. Regarding the evacuees from Karelia, Mäkäräinen wrote that they had come from within Finland, spoke Finnish, and shared key features of Finnish culture. He said they had faced mistrust and derogatory name-calling, but believed they differed from current arrivals from Afghanistan, for example, in terms of adaptation, work ethic, and use of social security. Mäkäräinen also denied the comparison made by Haasio and Mattila between 19th-century antisemitism and the Somali discussions of the 1990s. According to him, the groups were not similar, and Jews had mostly integrated well. He argued that current migrations should be evaluated based on their impacts on employment, crime, and social security. Finally, he wrote that the continuity of society required, in his opinion, the adaptation of newcomers. #maahanmuutto #suomalaisuus #kulttuuri (translated)

The Estonian Ministry of Justice has submitted a new legislative proposal, according to which photos of people with disabilities will be added to the responses of inquiries made in the register of people working with children, which has sparked heated discussions on social media due to differing opinions. #регистры #проверкаданных #безопасностьдетей (translated)

Antero Paljakka OLY wrote that the pension contribution indicated on the pay slip was 7.3 percent, whereas in reality, according to him, 25.5 percent of the salary went to it. He described the practice as a tax technical deception stemming from the legacy of the 1993 recession and claimed that naming over two-thirds of the contribution as the employer's share led Finns to perceive pension security as inexpensive. According to Paljakka, pension contributions reduced the employee's purchasing power and gross salary, and the employer viewed the total cost as the price of the employee. He asked how long people would accept that a quarter of the value of work went into the system without them having a say in how the funds were used. #eläkkeet #palkka #verotus (translated)

Mikko Välimaa wrote that Magnus Ranstorp is one of the most respected researchers in the Nordic countries and said that he posed a question that he hoped would also come up in Finland. Välimaa mentioned that so far only Iltalehti had reported on the exceptional stance of Finnish Members of the European Parliament in the vote concerning the Muslim Brotherhood. #tutkijat #Suomi #politiikka (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that Finland should take seriously Russia's alleged plans to assassinate leaders of the European defense industry. According to him, European intelligence services had warned that Russia had intensified its assassination plots targeting business executives. Possible targets included not only large arms manufacturers but also smaller defense technology companies, especially manufacturers of drones and their components. Vanhanen referred to a plan revealed in 2024 to assassinate Armin Papperger, CEO of the German company Rheinmetall. He wrote that more recent intelligence data indicated broader and more systematic actions beyond individual cases. According to Vanhanen, Russia's intention was to undermine the European defense industry, intimidate its business leaders, complicate support for Ukraine, and disrupt the strengthening of Europe's defense capabilities. Vanhanen urged an urgent assessment of whether the protection of key personnel in Finland's defense industry is adequate. He suggested that the security police, police, and defense administration work together with companies to identify individuals at special risk and ensure preemptive action against threats. He proposed, if necessary, strengthening personal protection, enhancing counterintelligence efforts against companies, and improving information sharing among authorities. According to Vanhanen, Finland should not wait for the first attack on its territory before preparing. https://t.co/xVZMYe1R7e #Puolustusteollisuus #Venäjä #Suomi (translated)

Jari Sarasvuo asked what was going on and wrote that respecting different worldviews as well as commitment to common rules and culture helped build a better future without discrimination or forced relocations. According to him, Western culture was based on mutual respect, tolerance, and trust. Sarasvuo urged to hold on to these ideals and encouraged Sukkolaa and Juha Itkonen. #kulttuuri #suvaitsevaisuus #yhteisö (translated)

In my understanding, the most important thing is that defense funding is used purposefully for necessary acquisitions. Because, as experience has shown, the ministry must respond very dynamically and actively to changes in this market, the arms market – both in acquisitions and the emergence of new technologies, not remaining a passive observer. Members of the National Security and Defense Committee of the Seimas and former Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas believe that the use of nearly 44% of the funding allocated to the Ministry of National Defense (KAM) this year does not, in itself, indicate any problems. #gynyba #finansavimas #Lietuva (translated)

Hannu Järvinen asked the chairman of the SDP, Antti Lindtman, why the representatives of the SDP voted against the adoption of the resolution according to him. Järvinen wrote that the European Parliament had voted on Thursday in Strasbourg on a resolution condemning Islamist infiltration, which he claimed aimed to undermine European values, democratic institutions, and social cohesion. https://t.co/3w1bxuxAwT #suomi #politiikka #Eurooppa (translated)

Christer Sfeir wrote about his visit to Pézenas in southern France and described the Hôtel de Flottes de Sébasan, a stone house from the 16th century. According to local tradition, Anna of Austria, the queen of France and mother of Louis XIV, had stayed there during a visit, he wrote. Sfeir recounted that Anna was a Spanish princess who married Louis XIII in 1615 when she was 14 years old. After 23 years without children, she gave birth to her son Louis in 1638. When the king died five years later, the then four-year-old son became king and Anna regent. Sfeir wrote that the royal family was forced to flee Paris during the Fronde and that the rebellion later contributed to Louis XIV's decision to centralize power around himself. He also mentioned Molière's stay in Pézenas during the 1650s with his theater company, which received patronage from the Prince of Conti. Sfeir wrote that Molière encountered people and environments there that later became subjects of his satire. According to Sfeir, Louis XIV visited the city in 1660 and took over the reins of power the following year. He concluded by stating that the house still stood, despite the monarchy and its power struggles being part of history. #Pézenas #historia #Molière (translated)

President Alar Karis said in his interview with ERR that the Riigikogu should consider the broader impact when adopting laws and emphasized that during his presidency, he has stayed out of foreign policy and experienced the importance of vetoing laws. #AlarKaris #EestiPresident #Välispoliitika (translated)

The esteemed trainer was convicted of sexual harassment and breach of official duties after he groped a young female employee at the workplace, which led to a distressing experience and long-term psychological suffering. #seksuaalinenahdistelu #työpaikkakiusaaminen #oikeusturva (translated)

Klaus said he had responded to a user named Sukkola, who he claimed had blocked him. He stated that his criticism was directed at Said Aw-Musse's position as a religious authority rather than at his personal actions. Klaus described classical Sunni Islam as a tradition in which sharia is seen as divinely ordained and as a legal system superior to human laws. According to him, it included legal, moral, and social rules regarding, among other things, testimony, inheritance, apostasy, and legislative authority. Klaus wrote that Aw-Musse had studied theology in Saudi Arabia and worked in a mosque where the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab had been used. He described this figure as an ultra-conservative thinker who demanded the return of Islam to its literal roots. According to Klaus, Aw-Musse's refusal to clarify his position on the primacy of Finnish law and the status of sharia justified suspicion. Merely following the law, in his opinion, did not indicate whether he considered the constitutional order of Finland to be just and final or a temporary imposition. Klaus expressed a desire to know what kind of Finland Aw-Musse envisioned in 50 or 100 years. Klaus believed that questions regarding women's rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and criminal law were not leading him into a trap but were inquiries into whether Aw-Musse accepted the principles of the Finnish rule of law. He deemed Aw-Musse's public stance significant for its societal relevance due to his religious role. According to Klaus, integration required not only adherence to the law but also acceptance of fundamental values. #uskonto #oikeudet #kulttuuri (translated)