Minna Ålander 🌻
@alanderminna.bsky.social
Associate Fellow @chathamhouse.org | @cepa.org Fellow | Senior Fellow Frivärld | Defence Editor @eurcorrespond.bsky.social. Plot twist: not from Åland. 📸 Stas Kartashov
✍️ Northern Flank Notes: https://open.substack.com/pub/minnalander
✍️ Northern Flank Notes: https://open.substack.com/pub/minnalander
The plot keeps twisting. After having first said that the plan was Russian, not drafted by the US, Rubio a few hours later said the plan was drafted by the US, not Russia.
This promises some interesting negotiations today
This promises some interesting negotiations today
November 23, 2025 at 9:29 AM
The plot keeps twisting. After having first said that the plan was Russian, not drafted by the US, Rubio a few hours later said the plan was drafted by the US, not Russia.
This promises some interesting negotiations today
This promises some interesting negotiations today
This would be great but it’s kinda funny that Germany would still have a small total force + reserve than Finland (wartime strength 280,000 and total reserve about 900,000)
www.ft.com/content/6cbf...
www.ft.com/content/6cbf...
November 13, 2025 at 9:50 PM
This would be great but it’s kinda funny that Germany would still have a small total force + reserve than Finland (wartime strength 280,000 and total reserve about 900,000)
www.ft.com/content/6cbf...
www.ft.com/content/6cbf...
CHE BELLISSIMOOOO
Italy joins NATO Forward Land Force in Finland with a contribution. Benvenuti !
🇮🇹🤝🇫🇮
Italy joins NATO Forward Land Force in Finland with a contribution. Benvenuti !
🇮🇹🤝🇫🇮
October 25, 2025 at 12:25 PM
CHE BELLISSIMOOOO
Italy joins NATO Forward Land Force in Finland with a contribution. Benvenuti !
🇮🇹🤝🇫🇮
Italy joins NATO Forward Land Force in Finland with a contribution. Benvenuti !
🇮🇹🤝🇫🇮
Imagine spending massive amounts of money trying to buy votes and even threatening to blow up the Moldovan embassy in Brussels to sway the elections and failing so miserably:
Maia Sandu’s pro-EU PAS has won a majority in the elections Russia made a huge effort to interfere with.
Via @politico.eu
Maia Sandu’s pro-EU PAS has won a majority in the elections Russia made a huge effort to interfere with.
Via @politico.eu
September 29, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Imagine spending massive amounts of money trying to buy votes and even threatening to blow up the Moldovan embassy in Brussels to sway the elections and failing so miserably:
Maia Sandu’s pro-EU PAS has won a majority in the elections Russia made a huge effort to interfere with.
Via @politico.eu
Maia Sandu’s pro-EU PAS has won a majority in the elections Russia made a huge effort to interfere with.
Via @politico.eu
Zeitgeistia YLE äpissä
September 10, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Zeitgeistia YLE äpissä
Le Monde has a simulator with which you can do the math whether the French government will collapse (again) 😭
August 28, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Le Monde has a simulator with which you can do the math whether the French government will collapse (again) 😭
Happy Independence Day to Ukraine ! 🇺🇦
What a nice present from Norway and Germany.
What a nice present from Norway and Germany.
August 24, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Happy Independence Day to Ukraine ! 🇺🇦
What a nice present from Norway and Germany.
What a nice present from Norway and Germany.
The Finnish state railway company now has cute little standard avatars for app users (the trains are decorated in a similar design). Apparently I have reached the level of ”enthusiastic train traveller”, maybe there’s more levels ?
Anyways, I love it that Finland is such a serious country 🥹
Anyways, I love it that Finland is such a serious country 🥹
August 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The Finnish state railway company now has cute little standard avatars for app users (the trains are decorated in a similar design). Apparently I have reached the level of ”enthusiastic train traveller”, maybe there’s more levels ?
Anyways, I love it that Finland is such a serious country 🥹
Anyways, I love it that Finland is such a serious country 🥹
August 21, 2025 at 5:51 PM
The Office of the US Trade Representative posted a bizarre list of praise for the dear leader for the US-EU trade deal.
My highlight is this ”thank you for nothing” from Delta Airlines
ustr.gov/about/policy...
My highlight is this ”thank you for nothing” from Delta Airlines
ustr.gov/about/policy...
July 31, 2025 at 8:09 AM
The Office of the US Trade Representative posted a bizarre list of praise for the dear leader for the US-EU trade deal.
My highlight is this ”thank you for nothing” from Delta Airlines
ustr.gov/about/policy...
My highlight is this ”thank you for nothing” from Delta Airlines
ustr.gov/about/policy...
Suomi on peruuttamattomasti pilalla: Kilpisjärven retkeilykeskukselta sai oikein hyvän (ja kalliin) kauracappuccinon ja viinivalikoima oli myös vakuuttava. 😍
July 2, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Suomi on peruuttamattomasti pilalla: Kilpisjärven retkeilykeskukselta sai oikein hyvän (ja kalliin) kauracappuccinon ja viinivalikoima oli myös vakuuttava. 😍
Iranian foreign minister called Trump daddy on X
June 27, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Iranian foreign minister called Trump daddy on X
Rutte was grinning like that because he knew that he had created a monster 😆
June 26, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Rutte was grinning like that because he knew that he had created a monster 😆
Macron is a whole mood
June 25, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Macron is a whole mood
Rutte clearly knows something we don’t know
June 25, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Rutte clearly knows something we don’t know
Sigh. In Finland conscription actually has an equality-boosting effect because all male citizens have to do it and the treatment is the same for everyone, regardless of their family’s wealth.
Also a big legal issue in Finland is whether conscript can be sent abroad (so far the answer is no).
Also a big legal issue in Finland is whether conscript can be sent abroad (so far the answer is no).
June 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Sigh. In Finland conscription actually has an equality-boosting effect because all male citizens have to do it and the treatment is the same for everyone, regardless of their family’s wealth.
Also a big legal issue in Finland is whether conscript can be sent abroad (so far the answer is no).
Also a big legal issue in Finland is whether conscript can be sent abroad (so far the answer is no).
TIL that Lithuania has a national pink beet soup dish and they’re so into it that they have a festival for it where people dress up as ingredients of the soup. They also sell related merch at the Vilnius airport.
It’s also a whole beef with Latvia about who originally invented the soup
It’s also a whole beef with Latvia about who originally invented the soup
June 5, 2025 at 4:36 PM
TIL that Lithuania has a national pink beet soup dish and they’re so into it that they have a festival for it where people dress up as ingredients of the soup. They also sell related merch at the Vilnius airport.
It’s also a whole beef with Latvia about who originally invented the soup
It’s also a whole beef with Latvia about who originally invented the soup
Dear Russians, this is not a terrorist attack. This is war.
Ukraine targeted your strategic bombers, not your homes.
Your own armed forces are, on the other hand, constantly terrorising Ukrainian civilians.
Ukraine targeted your strategic bombers, not your homes.
Your own armed forces are, on the other hand, constantly terrorising Ukrainian civilians.
June 1, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Dear Russians, this is not a terrorist attack. This is war.
Ukraine targeted your strategic bombers, not your homes.
Your own armed forces are, on the other hand, constantly terrorising Ukrainian civilians.
Ukraine targeted your strategic bombers, not your homes.
Your own armed forces are, on the other hand, constantly terrorising Ukrainian civilians.
Russians when they realise they, in fact, do NOT have a sanctuary
June 1, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Russians when they realise they, in fact, do NOT have a sanctuary
This morning US time @lapatina.bsky.social and I got to wake up @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org with the news that Ukraine has destroyed 40 Russian strategic planes.
They’re going live on substack now and you should join !
(Shoutout to the ever great @reshetz.bsky.social)
They’re going live on substack now and you should join !
(Shoutout to the ever great @reshetz.bsky.social)
June 1, 2025 at 1:48 PM
This morning US time @lapatina.bsky.social and I got to wake up @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org with the news that Ukraine has destroyed 40 Russian strategic planes.
They’re going live on substack now and you should join !
(Shoutout to the ever great @reshetz.bsky.social)
They’re going live on substack now and you should join !
(Shoutout to the ever great @reshetz.bsky.social)
Finland has two main interests in terms of railway links: one to the port of Narvik in Norway and another connecting the main north-south railway line in Finland, between Kemi in Finland and Luleå in Sweden, to Sweden’s north-south line.
May 28, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Finland has two main interests in terms of railway links: one to the port of Narvik in Norway and another connecting the main north-south railway line in Finland, between Kemi in Finland and Luleå in Sweden, to Sweden’s north-south line.
The Finnish state-owned railway company VR started operating the Stockholm-Gothenburg connection last year.
Given that Finland is trying to get the Swedes to connect Luleå to Kemi for a railway link from the north of Finland down to the port of Gothenburg, no way this is a coincidence !
Given that Finland is trying to get the Swedes to connect Luleå to Kemi for a railway link from the north of Finland down to the port of Gothenburg, no way this is a coincidence !
May 28, 2025 at 12:48 PM
The Finnish state-owned railway company VR started operating the Stockholm-Gothenburg connection last year.
Given that Finland is trying to get the Swedes to connect Luleå to Kemi for a railway link from the north of Finland down to the port of Gothenburg, no way this is a coincidence !
Given that Finland is trying to get the Swedes to connect Luleå to Kemi for a railway link from the north of Finland down to the port of Gothenburg, no way this is a coincidence !
When they ask me to moderate a panel discussion on a serious topic with important people
(From last weekend’s Lennart Meri Conference)
(From last weekend’s Lennart Meri Conference)
May 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
When they ask me to moderate a panel discussion on a serious topic with important people
(From last weekend’s Lennart Meri Conference)
(From last weekend’s Lennart Meri Conference)
A blocking suggestion. It was fun for a while because this account was my first and only committed hater on Bluesky but better not to give a platform for such comments
May 22, 2025 at 6:06 AM
A blocking suggestion. It was fun for a while because this account was my first and only committed hater on Bluesky but better not to give a platform for such comments