WIKILEAKS: Finland reported copiously to the Americans on dealings with Russian leaders

Leaked documents paint an interesting portrait of Washington's perceptions of recent history and the major players

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In the course of this week, Helsingin Sanomat has gone through dozens of Wikileaks documents pertaining to Finland, dating from 2000-2010.
      The material, one small part of the hundreds of thousands of leaked American diplomatic reports, has been combed through after an agreement was reached with the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, and in this first instalment the focus is on United States' views of relations between Finland and Russia.
      Other themes will be explored in the next two or three days.
     
The exchange of information from Finnish sources to diplomats at the US Embassy in Helsinki was clearly not inconsiderable: the embassy received an account for instance of President Tarja Halonen's first meeting with her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the very same evening.
      The documents also paint a stark picture of the perceptions held in Washington of senior Finnish politicians: the former Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja (SDP) was, for instance, a red rag to the Americans, while his immediate successor Ilkka Kanerva (National Coalition Party) was seen as a reliable partner prior to his resignation.
     
Helsingin Sanomat has chosen to publish the controversial material because it has significance - it shows international politics as seen behind the velvet curtains.
      Often the image it presents of recent history is not unlike that of the view from a magnifying mirror, one that shows every line and wrinkle we would sometimes like to hide.
     
     
We shall exceptionally add and publish the stories as and when they are completed, before republishing Friday's pages later today.

More on this subject:
 COMMENTARY: Privy to secret information
 Finnish leaders kept USA informed about Russian events
 EDITORIAL: Seeing the wrinkles in a close-up view of recent history
 Foreign Minister Tuomioja viewed with suspicion; Halonen respected, but seen as anti-American
 Timeline: January 2000 - June 2004
 Timeline: September 2004 – June 2010

Helsingin Sanomat