Finland is the sixth on the per GDP and deeply supportive of Ukraine’s victory to drive the Russian invaders out its territory.
Military commitments
1.644bn € (Rank: 10)
0.607% of GDP (Rank: 7)
Humanitarian commitments
0.181bn € (Rank: 16)
0.067% of GDP (Rank: 9)
Financial commitments
0.093bn € (Rank: 18)
0.034% of GDP (Rank: 18)
Video from Zelenskyy TG, in Kyiv, Text of From Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
BILATERAL COOPERATION BETWEEN UKRAINE AND FINLAND
POLITICAL DIALOGUE
1. Recognition of Ukraine by Finland: December 30, 1991.
2. Establishment of diplomatic relations: February 26, 1992.
3. Political relations.
In 2022, 17 events took place, including meetings and telephone conversations, at the highest and highest political levels (including visits by Finnish Prime Minister S. Marin (May), Finnish Foreign Minister P. Haavisto (November, as part of a delegation of Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers).
In 2023, the dynamics remained high. In particular, in January 2023, the President of Finland S. Niinistö visited Ukraine, as well as the Minister for International Development and Foreign Trade V. Skinnari and the Minister of the Interior K. Mikkonen, and on 10.03.23, the Prime Minister of Finland S. Marin visited Kyiv together with the Minister of the Environment of Finland M. Ogisalo. 03.05.23 President Zelenskyy pays an official visit to Finland, during which he takes part in the Ukraine-Northern Europe Summit.
4. Trade and economic relations
In 2022, the volume of trade in goods and services between Ukraine and Finland amounted to USD 336.5 million. This is 31.2% less than the volume of trade in goods and services in 2021. Exports of Ukrainian goods and services to Finland amounted to USD 85.3 million. The volume of exports of Ukrainian goods and services to Finland amounted to USD 85.3 million and decreased by 40.2% compared to 2021, while imports decreased by 27.4% and amounted to USD 251.2 million. The imports decreased by 4% and amounted to USD 201.2 million. The balance in trade in goods and services for this period is negative for Ukraine and amounts to USD 165.9 million. The balance of trade in goods and services is negative for Ukraine and amounts to USD 165.9 million.
Trade in goods
The trade turnover between Ukraine and Finland in 2022 amounted to USD 300.9 million. This is 27.9% less than the volume of trade in goods in 2021. In 2022, exports of Ukrainian goods to Finland amounted to usd 61.7 million. This is a 44.4% decrease compared to the previous year, while imports decreased by 21.9% and amounted to USD 239.2 million. The volume of imports decreased by 9% and amounted to USD 239.2 million. The balance of trade in goods for this period is negative for Ukraine and amounts to -177.5 million USD. The balance of trade in goods is negative for Ukraine and amounts to -$177.5 million.
Trade in services
In 2022, the volume of trade in services between Ukraine and Finland amounted to USD 36.8 million. This is 51.6% less than the volume of trade in services in 2021. Exports of Ukrainian services to Finland amounted to USD 24.8 million. This is 31.3% less than in 2021, while imports amounted to USD 12.0 million, a decrease of 69.8%. The volume of imports amounted to USD 12.0 million, which is 69.8%. The balance in trade in services in 2022 is positive and amounts to USD 12.8 million. The balance of trade in services is positive and amounts to USD 12.8 million.
5. Cultural and humanitarian cooperation
The cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Finland is characterized by the organization of art exhibitions, tours of creative groups, Ukrainian film days, lectures, and thematic roundtables, including charity events.
Ukrainian associations in Finland contribute to the development of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Finland in the field of culture. The International Ukrainian Cultural Center and the Ukrainian Theater in Finland are also actively introducing Ukrainian traditions, culture, and art to the Finnish public.
A tool for strengthening Ukrainian-Finnish relations is the twinning of cities in Ukraine and Finland (Kyiv-Helsinki, Kyiv-Tampere, Odesa-Oulu, Zaporizhzhia-Lahti, Kharkiv-Turku, Chernihiv-Lappeenranta, Nizhyn-Imatra, Kryvyi Rih-Espoo, Varazh-Loviisa, Zvyagel-Suomussalmi).
Currently, there are two Ukrainian historical sites in Finland: a plaque on the building that housed the first diplomatic mission of Ukraine in Finland in 1918-1921 and a monument to Ukrainian soldiers who died during the fighting in northern Finland during the Winter War of 1939-1940.
6. Scientific and educational cooperation
In September 2008, the University of Helsinki’s Alexanteri Institute launched the Ukrainian Studies program. The program is aimed at spreading knowledge about Ukraine among students and researchers of Finnish higher education institutions, provides for the study of Ukrainian language, literature, history and culture by Finnish and foreign students, conducting research on Ukrainian topics, and student exchanges.
Since January 2007, the Ukrainian language has been taught at the Department of Slavic and Baltic Languages and Literature of the University of Helsinki on an optional basis.
The Finnish language is taught at the Kyiv National Linguistic University, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”.
Since 2004, the Scandinavian Gymnasium has been operating in Kyiv, where Finnish is taught from the 5th grade onwards.
From July 2018 to June 2023, the project “Finnish Support for Ukrainian School Reform” (“Learning Together”) was implemented. For 4 years, Finland has provided expert assistance to Ukraine in upgrading the qualifications of primary school teachers, improving the educational environment of schools as part of the New Ukrainian School reform, preparing modern teaching materials, and raising public perception of the importance of education and the need for its reform.
From 2020 to June 2023, Finland took part in the implementation of the EU Program “EU4Skills: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine”, which aims to increase the effectiveness of reforms in the field of vocational education and training. The main objective of the EU4Skills Program is to modernize vocational education to ensure sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development of the country.
The plans to deepen educational cooperation between Ukraine and Finland are currently underway.
The Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, at the request and with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Embassy of Ukraine in Finland, assisted in the preparation and conduct of the National Multiple Subject Test (NMT) for Ukrainian applicants in Finland in 2022-2023.
7. Legal framework: 48 agreements, including intergovernmental agreements on trade and economic cooperation (01.03.1993), on the promotion and mutual protection of investments (07.10.2004);
In 2023, the interagency cooperation process intensified:
On January 19, 23, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on cooperation to promote digital sustainability and development.
10.03.23 р. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine and the Ministry of the Environment of Finland,
10.03.23 р. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine and the Ministry of the Environment of Finland.
8. Ukrainian community
Today, there are about 54,000 Ukrainians in Finland, the vast majority of whom have been granted temporary protection in the country due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Places of compact residence are the cities of. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, Tampere, Jyväskylä, Turku, Oulu, and Salo. Before the war, the Ukrainian community in Finland numbered about 5 thousand people.
There are about 14 associations of Ukrainians in Finland. Among them are the largest: “The Association of Ukrainians in Finland, Ukrainians of Finland, and the Association of Ukrainians in Tampere.
The associations organize charity events and fundraisers for Ukraine and Ukrainians who suffered during the war. At the same time, all associations of Ukrainians abroad (in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, etc.) opened refugee assistance centers and centers for receiving humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine.
9. Diplomatic institutions: Embassies of Ukraine in Finland and Iceland (concurrently); Embassy of Finland in Ukraine.
- 22 truckloads of emergency relief:
- Medicines and hospital supplies, including at least 2 modern field hospitals.
- Emergency shelters and backup generators.
- Rescue service material.
- 13 ambulances and four fire engines.
- Medical evacuation and treatment of patients from Ukraine.
- €29 million of humanitarian aid, including 14 million for development cooperation (March 2023).[97] · [98]
- Sisu XA-185s [September 2022].[150]
- 152mm 152 K89 (2A36 Giatsint-B) [April 2023].[150]
- 120mm 120 Krh 85 92s [August 2022].[150]
- 1,500 66 KES (M72 LAW) anti-tank weapons [March 2022].[150]
- 112 RSKES APILAS [Before April 2023].[151][150]
- 12.7mm 12,7 ItKK 96 heavy machine guns [September 2022].[150]
- 2,500 assault rifles [March 2022].[150]
- 155mm 155 tkr88 artillery rounds [May 2022].[150]
- 120mm JVA 1571 mortar grenades [Before October 2022].[150]
- Sirpalekäsikranaatti M/50 hand grenades [Before October 2022].[150]
- JVA 0406 sahte 80-16 smoke grenades [Before February 2023 ].[150]
- 150,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition [March 2022] (For the Finnish-delivered assault rifles).[150]
- Procurement of 155mm ammunition through European Defense Agency [To be delivered].[25]
- 2,000 helmets [March 2022].[150]
- 2,000 bulletproof vests [March 2022].[150]
- 70,000 Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) [March 2022].[150]
- 20 soldiers to join the UK training of Ukrainian soldiers in Britain.[152]
- €86 million as of 24 February 2022.[153]