Foreign policy and security policy

The Finnish Government promoted Counsellor Hanna Lepistö to the public office of Counsellor for Foreign Affairs starting on 1 September 2026 and appointed her to the post of Deputy Director General of the Political Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for a fixed term from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030.

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul will visit Finland on 15–16 July and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen. The ministers will have bilateral discussions and visit various sites to learn about security in the northern region of Europe.

EU foreign affairs ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 13 July. State Secretary Pasi Rajala will represent Finland at the meeting.

 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. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will be part of the delegation of the President of the Republic Alexander Stubb to the NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye, on 7–8 July.