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DE RUEHHE #0322/01 1241339
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R 041339Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3310
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

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 
--------------------------------- 
¶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