FINLAND: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON SECOND ROUND OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001442 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EU UP FI SUBJECT: FINLAND: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON SECOND ROUND OF UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS REF: SECSTATE 240442 Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel points to Tulla Yrjola, the Counselor for Ukraine in Finland's MFA on November 10. Yrjola confirmed that the two Finnish observers that worked with the OSCE during the first round of the Presidential Election in Ukraine would return for the second round. Yrjola said that Finland shared U.S. and OSCE concern about widespread irregularities noted in reftel, although she added that this was not unexpected, and that Finland's overall assessment of the election was not as pessimistic as that of some other EU countries. She said that Finland had already received an OSCE request for additional observers and was considering this. She declined to comment on whether Finland would actively seek to investigate, monitor, or revoke the visas of Ukrainians suspected of electoral fraud or malfeasance. (Comment: Given its limited resources, it is unlikely Finland would have the capability to do so other than in exceptional cases.) MACK