President Niinistö Visits New York and Washington

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö visited the United States on September 19–25, 2022.

In New York, President Niinistö attended the high-level week of the 77th United Nations General Assembly. In a statement to the General Assembly(Link to another website.), President Niinistö addressed the interlocking challenges faced by the international community and condemned Russia's war in Ukraine:

"We can’t accept, condone or normalize grave violations of international law and human rights. A world where impunity prevails is unjust, unstable and dangerous."

In Washington D.C., President Niinistö visited Capitol Hill and met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Jim Risch and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. According to President Niinistö, the discussions covered transatlantic security, Finland's NATO membership, Russia and the bilateral relations between Finland and the United States. 

At the Embassy of Finland in Washington, President Niinistö remotely attended an interview(Link to another website.) on Fareed Zakaria's Global Public Square on CNN. The interview discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin's next moves in his war in Ukraine.

"In poker terms, he has put all in," President Niinistö said of Putin's recent actions. "It is very difficult to see him accepting any kind of defeat."