Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen discussing strengthening of Finnish-Estonian cooperation and EU-Russian relations concerning Nord Stream II

Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen recently commented on the need to increase cooperation between Finland and Estonia as well as EU-Russia relations. His writing on Finnish-Russian relations appeared in Finnish in the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and in Estonian in ERR. He was also interviewed with regard to EU-Russia relations in Finnish in Yle.

He argues that stronger Finnish-Estonian relations could on the one hand give more leverage towards the Russian Federation, but could also be beneficial for the European Union. Both countries, and Estonia even more, have broad expertise on Russian relations that is underused in the EU. On the other hand, although Finnish tourists travel to Estonia often and Estonians are the largest minority in Finland, deeper cultural and societal knowledge seems to have weakened especially among Finns.

Tynkkynen also highlights the lack of cooperation in Russian studies. Both Finnish and Estonian researchers seek widely partners abroad, but the same does not apply to mutual cooperation. Energy transition and climate policy, however, could be areas for mutual learning.

In Yle, 22.10 onwards, Tynkkynen, discussed EU-Russia relations in the context of Nordstream II pipeline and on the possibility of using sanctions against Russia specifically to energy infrastructure.