Finnish party drops candidate over calling Ukraine war 'special military operation'

This is reported by Yle.

The reason for withdrawing Tiainen’s candidacy was an article he published in a newspaper on December 29, in which he referred to Russia’s war against Ukraine as a 'special military operation.' He also criticized NATO.

The leadership of the Left Alliance emphasized that the candidate’s statements in the article do not align with the party’s position, which led to the withdrawal of his candidacy.

At the same time, Tiainen was “shocked that it is the left that holds a position where a person cannot express their opinion.” According to him, he used the term “special military operation” because “major powers refer to attacks as special operations.”

“Russia called it a special operation. But, of course, when it has been going on for two years, it is a war,” he said, adding that he “has been advocating for peace for 50 years.”

• On December 26, Finnish authorities detained the ship Eagle S, which was transporting Russian oil in the Baltic Sea. It is suspected of damaging an underwater power cable connecting Finland and Estonia, as well as four internet lines.