Finland’s decision not to boycott the OSCE on 30 November 2023 contradicts their recent actions and public statements regarding their neighbor.
The phrase “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” describes the Finnish government’s attitude too well now. Finland is demanding stricter actions against Russia. Still, refusing to accept the consensus goes against the Baltic countries’ decision to boycott the OSCE if Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends the conference. Finland’s decision indicates that it’s playing both sides, which could be fatal in the long term and damage its credibility in mutual agreements. Wouldn’t this put Finland in an awkward situation?
This could also be the Finnish government’s final effort to make independent foreign policy decisions before signing the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States of America. However, once the agreement is signed, Finland will lose its ability to create its independent foreign policy and give up some of its sovereign land for use by a foreign power. The agreement allows the foreign authority to use the designated land areas indefinitely without close supervision.