Iltalehti provided morning readers with a review of comments made by Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) in an interview with Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.
Valtonen praised US President Donald Trump's Ukraine policy in the interview, saying that all the communication received from the US suggests that it will not abandon Ukraine.
"I have also had the opportunity to talk to my new colleague [US Secretary of State] Marco Rubio, and Trump knows how important Ukraine is from a strategic point of view also for the US," Valtonen said.
She said that Trump has analysed the situation in Ukraine well, and she thinks he has shown how to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
"The Russian economy is not in very good shape, and President Trump knows how to take advantage of that," said Valtonen. "The further into the future you look, the more problems the Russian economy is likely to face. In that sense, time is actually not on Russia's side. I think Putin knows that."
Valtonen also told SvD that Europe must be involved in peace talks.
Asked whether the US has given any signs that it is ready to include Europe in the talks, she replied, "we must have a seat at the table".
Zero sum game?
The Uutissuomalainen news group reported that the Finnish government's housing benefit cuts last autumn have saved the state tens of millions of euros. At the same time, however, expenditure on income support has also increased by tens of millions.
In September-December last year, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela, paid out 79 million euros less in general housing allowances than a year earlier. During the same period, expenditure on social assistance benefits rose by 64 million from the previous year.
Kela research professor Hennamari Mikkola told USU says that cuts in housing benefits always have a delayed effect. She believes it is clear that spending on general housing support will fall and in time bring savings to the state.
"On the other hand, the effects of the cuts will be reflected in social assistance benefits expenditure," she pointed out.
The first changes to the general housing allowance came into force last April. At that time, maximum limits were set for housing costs per municipality, the reimbursement percentage was lowered and a 300 euro income tax deduction was abolished.
The cuts in housing allowances will continue. From the beginning of the year, general housing allowances were no longer available for owner-occupied housing costs, such as housing association fees, maintenance costs for detached houses and mortgage interest. More than 15,000 households were affected by this change.
In August, students will move from eligibility for the general housing allowance to a student housing allowance, which will reduce the amount of housing support they receive.
The number of households receiving social assistance benefits started to increase in September. In December, 135,480 households received basic income support. A year earlier, the number of recipients was around eight percent lower.
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Warming world
Helsinki Sanomat is among the papers reporting that last month was the warmest January on record worldwide, citing a press release from the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
The global average temperature for January was 13.23 degrees Celsius, 0.79 degrees higher than the average temperature for the climate reference period of 1991-2020.
In Finland, January saw mild temperatures in southern parts of the country and bitter cold in Finnish Lapland.
According to FMI statistics, the average temperature in January ranged from +1 degree Celsius in the south-west to around -14 degrees in northern Lapland.
January temperatures in southern and some central parts of the country were, on average, at levels recorded less often than once a decade.
Elsewhere in the country, average temperatures were close to or slightly above the long-term average. The temperature deviation from the long-term average ranged from around +3.5 degrees Celsius in the south of the country to -1 degree Celsius in Lapland.
Sámi National Day
The indigenous Sámi people are celebrating Sámi National Day on Thursday, 6 February.
The celebration marks the first Nordic Sámi gathering, held in Trondheim, Norway, in 1917, the first of its kind called to discuss the Sámi's living conditions and to take a stand on issues affecting the Sámi people.
During the day, both the the Sámi flag and national flags will be seen flying in Finland, Sweden and Norway.
As the Finnish news agency STT points out, the Sámi are the only recognised indigenous people in the European Union. There are about 10,000 Sámi living in Finland. The Sámi homeland area in Finland includes the municipalities of Enontekiö, Inari and Utsjoki and the northern part of Sodankylä. However, many Sámi also live outside the Sámi homeland area.
Lighthouse keeper's job
The small town of Kaskinen, in Ostrobothnia, is looking for a lighthouse keeper to take up residence on the the island of Sälgrund next summer, the rural-focused Maaseudun Tulevaisuus newspaper reported.
The island is home to a lighthouse built in 1875, and a former pilot station, where the successful candidate for the job will be expected take care of maintenance and upkeep of the buildings, as well as oversee lodging and meals for visitors.
The three-month assignment starts at the beginning of June and wraps up at the end of August. The salary being offered is 3,000 euros per month.
Applicants with good boating skills will likely be shortlisted, as Sälgrund is only accessible by sea.