- Title: Distant rumble of Ukraine war disturbs calm of Baltic islands
- Date: 3rd June 2022
- Summary: MARIEHAMN, ALAND (JUNE 1, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ISLANDS IN THE ALAND ARCHIPELAGO VARIOUS OF PASSENGER FERRY IN THE HARBOUR VARIOUS OF SIGN READING (Swedish/English): "Aland. Autonomous and demilitarised. Welcome." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON THE STREET VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN THE PARK HUNTER, FISHERMAN AND BUSINESSMAN, JOHAN MORN, WALKING ON ROCKS MORN WALKING OUT ON PONTOON, GETS INTO BOAT (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) HUNTER, FISHERMAN AND BUSINESSMAN, JOHAN MORN, SAYING: "I think most people on Aland are happy with the demilitarisation and feel safe because the Finnish military can be here in two hours, and there is very good signals intelligence and then we have the coast guard here on Aland so we feel very safe with the authorities." VARIOUS OF MORN STEERING MOTOR BOAT MAP OF ISLANDS ON DISPLAY BOAT'S BOW MORN TALKING MORN'S HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL VIEW OF ISLAND THROUGH WINDOW ISLAND IN THE ARCHIPELAGO WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) HUNTER, FISHERMAN AND BUSINESSMAN, JOHAN MORN, SAYING: "First of all, it's to observe, scout and report but if it's a critical situation, it could be letting air out of tyres or little things... sabotage and little things like that. Most people don't envisage weapons in the first instance but of course, if it really escalates we have many hunters on Aland, many hunting weapons so if your family and your close ones are threatened I can imagine that many - not being blue-eyed - actually take things in their own hands in the end. Not in the early stages when we completely trust the authorities." FLAGS OUTSIDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING VARIOUS OF FLAGS READING (Swedish): "Aland 100" (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) HEAD OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, VERONICA THORNROOS, SAYING: "Yes. That is the assessment made by the president and the government of Finland and we on Aland have done the same analysis." SIGN ON BUILDING READING (Swedish): "Regional government" BUILDING ENTRANCE READING (Swedish): "Aland 100" SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) HEAD OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, VERONICA THORNROOS, SAYING: "Aland doesn't have the possibility to decide whether the military should come here or not. That's the defence forces in Finland, the intelligence service, together with the president and the government in Helsinki who make the analysis and the assessment of what is the security political situation, do we need to send troops to Aland and that is also completely possible according to the demilitarisation agreements that exist." EXTERIOR OF RUSSIAN CONSULATE RUSSIAN FLAG SIGN ON TREE READING (Swedish): "Ukraine place" WITH RUSSIAN FLAG IN BACKGROUND PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF CONSULATE WITH UKRAINIAN FLAG AND SIGN READING (English): "Russian President Vladimir) Putin go home" SIGN READING (English): "Putin go home" BLUE AND YELLOW FLOWERS IN POTS (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) RETIRED JOURNALIST AND PROTEST ORGANISER, MOSSE WALLEN, SAYING: "We are gathering to shout out our fear and hatred against the murderous regime that has started a war of aggression in Ukraine. And that, you have to remember, we live in Finland, we have a 1,300-kilometre border and Aland is a very important strategic area if someone wants to do something." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SINGING SONG FOR PEACE "It affects me, it makes me angry and also a little afraid." PROTESTERS GATHERED WOMAN HOLDING A UKRAINIAN FLAG MAN HOLDING A SIGN WITH SUNFLOWER SIGN PLACED AGAINST TREE, READING (Swedish): "Murderers leave Ukraine." VARIOUS OF PROTESTER ATTACHING STICKER READING (Swedish): "Ukraine place" ON ROAD SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) STUDENT AND PROTESTER, TORGNY SODERHOLM, SAYING: "Yes, well Aland has always been demilitarised and it has always been a part of Aland's history since we became self-governing 100 years ago so it's been a part of what has made Aland unique but of course, with the invasion and the war in Ukraine, the view of this demilitarisation becomes different." VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE ENTRANCE
- Embargoed: 17th June 2022 15:35
- Keywords: Aland NATO NATO membership Russia Ukraine
- Location: MARIEHAMN, ALAND
- City: MARIEHAMN, ALAND
- Country: Finland
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001234902062022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The fighting may be more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) away across sea and land, but on their remote, rocky outcrop off the southern coast of Finland, the inhabitants of Aland fear the Russian invasion of Ukraine could change their lives for good.
The war has turned decades of European security policy on its head, nowhere more so than in Finland, which shares a long land border with Russia and last month applied to join NATO, despite Kremlin warnings of "serious military and political consequences."
What Finnish NATO membership could mean for Aland has yet to become clear, but citizens on the Swedish-speaking islands worry their cherished autonomy from Finland could be at risk. Last year the archipelago marked the centenary of the international treaty that granted it self-governance and made it a demilitarised, politically neutral zone.
But as tensions with Russia in the Baltic region soar, some Finns question the wisdom of leaving islands strategically perched between Finland and Sweden undefended and argue its peculiar status may be obsolete.
"It is unreasonable to demand of a country that it is responsible for defending a certain area, but that the country is still not allowed to fully prepare for the defence of that area," said Charly Salonius-Pasternak, defence policy researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs Told SVT.
The head of Aland's local government Veronica Thornroos said she disagreed with those who argue that the islands' neutral status should be scrapped, and pointed to Helsinki's assurances that it would not be affected by NATO membership.
"That is the assessment made by the president and the government of Finland and we on Aland hold no other view," Thornroos said.
The islands' strategic location means they have long been tussled over by surrounding countries: The first treaty bestowing neutral status onto Aland was in 1856 after the Crimean war.
Their long-held neutrality is still a point of pride among Aland's 30,000 inhabitants, most of whom live on the main island where traditional red wooden houses sit surrounded by forest and the maritime industry is the main employer.
Along with the concern that a Finnish or NATO military presence on Aland soil would compromise their autonomy, islanders are also worried about Aland's ability to defend itself in the event of an invasion by Russia.
Johan Morn, a fisherman, hunter, and local businessman, has sailed the Aland waters since he was a boy and knows the archipelago inside out.
"My grandfather was a maritime pilot and helped navigate these waters when they were mined during World War Two. He ran supplies from Sweden when Finland was attacked by the Soviet Union," he said from the bridge of his 10-meter motor boat.
"Maybe our skills can be of use too."
Morn said he wants to set up a volunteer network of locals to scout for Russian vessels and suspicious activity, although he also said he fully supports Aland's demilitarised status and trusts the Finnish military to protect it all the same.
"But we are not naive. The way Russia is behaving now, they clearly want to take Ukraine and maybe more," he said. "And if worse comes to worst, we know the terrain and we are used to handling weapons."
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