Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin visited war-torn Ukraine this week to meet with senior ministers and observe efforts to clear unexploded mines.
Marin, 38, who resigned as leader of Finland’s Social Democrats last September to join the Tony Blair Institute, was in Bucha, the site of the mass murder of about 500 Ukrainians at the start of the war in March 2022.
I was in town with the HALO Trust, which works globally to clear unexploded landmines. In Ukraine, Marin says around 19,000 explosives have been neutralized since the war with Russia began.
While in the war-torn country, the former Finnish prime minister, who was just 34 when she took office in 2019, also made a brief return to diplomacy when she met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
She said: ‘I had the opportunity to participate in numerous debates on the state of the war, reconstruction and the European future of Ukraine.
Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin visited war-torn Ukraine this week to meet with senior ministers and observe efforts to clear unexploded mines.
“It was also very interesting to visit a humanitarian demining site in Bucha, where an international organization HALO Trust works to make war-torn areas safe by clearing landmines and other explosives.”
Marin dusted off his political hat for a moment, posed for photos with Shmyhal and sat down to chat with Finland’s ambassador to Ukraine over lunch.
He said: “It was a great honor to meet with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, and Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna .
‘With more than two years of brutal war, the need for international attention is more crucial than ever.
‘To win the war, Ukraine needs even more political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support. Sanctions must be applied.”
Marin announced last September that she would leave her position as leader of Finland’s Social Democrats to work as a strategic advisor to the Tony Blair Institute.
Marin shook off the political dust for a moment, posed for photographs with Mr. Shmyhal and sat down to chat with Finland’s ambassador to Ukraine over lunch.
Marin, 38, who resigned as leader of Finland’s Social Democrats last September to join the Tony Blair Institute, was in Bucha, the site of the mass murder of about 500 Ukrainians at the start of the war in March 2022.
Marin announced she would step down as leader of Finland’s Social Democrats last September to work as a strategic advisor to the Tony Blair Institute.
It could be that Marin is not at the center of diplomacy after she was photographed on the ground in war-torn Ukraine this week.
As Prime Minister of Finland, Marin was one of Europe’s youngest leaders and oversaw her country’s successful application to officially join NATO.
Announcing his resignation from politics, Marin told Finnish broadcaster YLE that it was “time to move on.”
She said: ‘I’m looking forward to taking on a new role. I also think it can benefit all of Finland. “I think I can serve those voters well (in Finland) and maybe even better in the new assignment.”
But it could be that Marin is not at the center of diplomacy after she was photographed on the ground in war-torn Ukraine this week.
The 38-year-old said: “I had the privilege of visiting a demining site together with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko.”
Announcing his resignation from politics, Marin told Finnish broadcaster YLE that it was “time to move on.”
As Prime Minister of Finland, Marin was one of Europe’s youngest leaders and oversaw her country’s successful application to officially join NATO.