Current affairs
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13.10.2026
Foreign Ministry introduces AI service for processing classified information
Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has introduced its AI Assistant UMAI to an initial group of pilot users. The service enables the use of artificial intelligence to process information at national security classification level IV in a secure environment. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Government ICT Centre Valtori are acting as pilot organisations in the development of a common secure AI platform for central government.
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12.10.2026
EU targets largest ever package of sanctions against individuals and entities supporting Russia’s war industry
The European Union (EU) adopted new sanctions against individuals and entities in Russia’s military industry complex and against individuals involved in organising the so-called elections for the Russian State Duma in the unlawfully annexed or occupied territories of Ukraine. This is the single largest set of sanctions listings ever agreed by the EU.
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1.10.2026
Finland to support Ukraine with EUR 50 million loan through World Bank Group
Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs will grant a EUR 50 million development policy loan to the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group. The loan will be provided for the Special Program for Ukraine Recovery 2.0 (SPUR 2.0), a new financing programme established by IDA to respond to Ukraine's substantial reconstruction and recovery needs.
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24.9.2026
Finland promotes efforts to ensure accountability in Russia’s war of aggression
On 24 September, the Government submitted to Parliament proposals for the acceptance and bringing into force of an agreement related to the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the Convention Establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine.
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13.8.2026
Finnish expertise supports Ukraine – Wärtsilä to deliver engines for power plants from Vaasa
Finland is supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine's war-torn energy sector with EUR 28.5 million to be granted from development cooperation funds. The total value of the power plant technology involved is EUR 45.6 million, with Ukraine funding the remainder of the project itself.
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12.8.2026
Joint Statement on Notifications of Ballistic Missile Launches
The joint statement on Notifications of Ballistic Missile Launches was released by 41 Governments, and it was delivered at the August 11, 2026, meeting of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
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6.8.2026
Call for Proposals in 2026 for International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs) for Humanitarian Mine Action
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland announces a Call for Proposals for INGOs for Humanitarian Mine Action. The Call is open from Thursday 6th August 2026 until Friday 4th September 2026. The total amount of funding to be distributed based on the applications received through this Call for Proposals is at maximum EUR 9 000 000 for the period of 2027–2029.
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26.7.2026
Aalto Works inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to inscribe the Aalto Works on the World Heritage List at its 48th session held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026. The property comprises 13 modern architectural sites across Finland designed by Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto.
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10.7.2026
OSCE report: Militarisation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children in Russia and Russian-occupied territories
In May, 41 OSCE participating States, including Finland, invoked the Moscow Mechanism in cooperation with Ukraine to investigate militarization and indoctrination of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. According to the report published at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on 9 July, Russia has sought to erase the Ukrainian national identity of these children and reinforce Russian State-approved narratives. Forcible transfers, deportations and the systematic indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children could amount to crimes against humanity, in addition to violations of international law. The report makes recommendations to the Russian authorities, the OSCE, Ukraine and the international community on ways to take action and reinforce accountability.
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26.5.2026
Finland to support development of Ukraine’s weather services, benefiting authorities and farmers
The cooperation project between the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center will be extended by four years. The new stage of the project aims to further improve Ukraine’s weather and early warning services and their accessibility, helping society enhance its preparedness for extreme weather events. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs will provide a total of EUR 2 million in funding for this Institutional Cooperation Instrument (ICI) project in 2026–2030.