According to a Nordic joke, a Finn and a Swede get together for a drinking session. The Swede says ‘Cheers’. To which the Finn replies ‘Are we here to talk? Or to drink?’. The tough, no-nonsense Finnish character – famously shown when, against overwhelming odds, they caused huge losses to Stalin’s invading forces in 1939 – was again on display when Finland’s President Niinistö was asked how he would explain to Putin why his country wanted to join Nato.
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Mark Higgie is on Twitter at @markhiggie1
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