FINLAND CALLS FOR UNIFIED EU RESPONSE TO ESTONIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000322

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND CALLS FOR UNIFIED EU RESPONSE TO ESTONIAN
BRONZE SOLDIER CRISIS


Classified By: POLCHIEF GREGORY THOME FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The escalating dispute between Russia
and Estonia over the Bronze Soldier has prompted an
unusually strong criticism of Russia's behavior from
senior Finnish officials, who are typically known for
their caution in dealing with Russia. The President and
the FM have issued strong statements of solidarity,
punctuated by the latter's trip to Tallinn on May 2.
The Russian Embassy in Helsinki has used the dispute not
only to augment the chill in Russian-Estonian -- and,
indirectly, Russian-EU -- relations, but also to issue
yet another veiled warning against any Finnish move
toward NATO membership. End Summary.

UNUSUALLY STRONG FINNISH RESPONSE
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2. (SBU) Given the close geographical, political and
cultural ties between Estonia and Finland, the
controversy over the moving of the Bronze Soldier in
Tallinn has caused considerable consternation here. The
escalating controversy and Russia's heavy-handed
responses in Moscow, Tallinn and internationally have
dominated the Finnish press for days. Senior Finnish
officials -- infamous for their caution and discretion
in commenting on Russian political behavior -- have also
responded with unusually outspoken public shows of
support for Estonia and censure of Moscow's response.


3. (SBU) President Tarja Halonen called on Russia to de-
escalate the crisis and demanded it take steps to
protect Estonian diplomats. Saying she was "shaken" by
the crisis, she made it her top agenda item for her May
3 meetings with German President Merkel. New FM Ilkka
Kanerva traveled to Estonia May 2 to show solidarity
with the Estonian Government. He called for joint EU
"action in support of Estonia" and a common EU policy
line regarding Russia's actions. Kanerva also demanded
that Moscow honor its Vienna Convention obligations
regarding Estonian diplomats. Oddly, the only senior
Finnish official who maintained the usual cautious
Finnish line on Russia was PM Matti Vanhanen. The PM
said that EU countries including Finland "should not
intervene" in what he characterized as a bilateral
issues, adding that "the Estonians are capable of
handling the unrest themselves." (Vanhanen subsequently
faced tough questions in Parliament for his timid
response.) A senior advisor to the FM told us privately
that some EU member states have taken a decidedly more
cautious stance than Finland and some others have called
for unified EU action in response to the crisis. It is
currently unclear, he added, how EU countries will line
up in response to Estonia's threat to boycott the
upcoming EU-Russia Summit.

HELSINKI-BASED RUSSIANS FAN THE FLAMES
--------------

4. (U) The Russian Embassy in Helsinki wasted no time in
adding to Finnish consternation over the crisis.
Russian Ambassador Alexander Rumyantsev called the
moving of the Bronze Soldier a "mockery and an insult,"
and stated flatly that it will harm Russia-Estonia and
Russia-EU relations. He also used the same press event
to issue yet another veiled warning to Finland, saying
that while Finland's joining NATO is its own decision,
doing so would affect Russia-Finnish relations
negatively.


5. (C) Our contacts at the Finnish MFA and within the
Helsinki diplomatic corps have expressed concern over
the local Russian Embassy's erratic and counter-
productive behavior. A long-planned trip to Moscow for
resident military attaches, sponsored by the Russian
DAO, has been jeopardized following the Russians'
decision to return the Estonian Army attache's visa
application with his money, pointedly recommending that
he not pursue a visa request. The Estonian Embassy has
suffered some very minor vandalism by unknown authors,
and Finnish security has visibly increased its presence
(which happens to be next door to the US Embassy). The
Estonian Embassy expressed appreciation for statements
of support from Washington, and the Finnish Prime
Minister's chief of staff called Ambassador Ware to
express thanks for Secretary Rice's helpful comments
regarding the crisis.

COMMENT
--------------

6. (C) The uncharacteristically strong Finnish show of
solidarity with Estonia is clearly a signal from the new
government of its intent to bolster Tallinn, one of its
closest regional and EU partners. However, it also

results in increasing concerns here regarding the
series of worrisome signs that continue to emerge from
Russia. Given the Finns' longstanding preference for
addressing tough issues with Russia behind closed doors,
it is a welcome sign to see Finland showing leadership
in calling for a tougher EU response on behalf of its
neighbor.
WARE