Finland must keep out of wars and war games

The Communist Party of Finland believes that there is no justification for foreign fighter aircraft, tanks or naval vessels to come to Finland. The annual survey on support for Nato in Finland demonstrates clearly that citizens oppose any such military alliance. Previously, the wishes of the people have been reflected in Finland’s foreign policy, which has strongly emphasized non-alignment. The government of Juha Sipilä is now towing the line of the National Coalition Party by involving Finland in military exercises and an agenda aimed at Nato membership under the guise of peaceful cooperation.

We must not let Finland’s foreign policy switch course in toward military alignment without public consultation. This spring, military exercises were conducted not with Nato but directly with the United States. Neither MPs nor even ministers have taken responsibility for security policy, and public discussion has mainly been about communication. The US invited itself to Finland, Russia’s neighbor, to conduct war games. Finland and Nato signed the Host Nation Support agreement in autumn 2014. The move towards military alignment is increasing tensions in our region and US – Russian relations have become strained in recent years. Finland is now in danger of becoming caught up in imperialist conflicts.

We must keep Finland out of wars and out of Nato. Finland is not a colony for war games. The Sipilä government’s billion-dollar weapons acquisitions must be reversed and the money used for them used to combat poverty and promote employment. It is absurd to devote millions of euros to US war games in Finland. We call on all peace-loving forces for a return to Finnish non-alignment. We must act as the pioneers of disarmament and for ridding the world of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

CPF – SKP