Ambassador: Finnish peacekeepers in Lebanon are safe | Yle News

Anne Meskanen, the Finnish ambassador to Lebanon, said withdrawing peacekeepers from Lebanon would be a very difficult decision.

Open the image viewer

Around 200 Finnish peacekeepers are currently serving in Lebanon, which was the target of a massive Israeli airstrike this weekend.

Ambassador of Finland to Lebanon Anne Meskanen She said she had been in contact with the commander of the Finnish peacekeeping force on Sunday morning.

The peacekeepers were not facing any danger, according to Meskanen, but the troops were not patrolling outside the base on Sunday.

“They are in a very calm state of mind and in a very good situation,” Meskanen told Yle.

Meskanin said that since the Hamas attack in October, the situation in the Middle East has begun to deteriorate and the safety of peacekeepers has received increasing attention.

For example, the base’s protective structures have been improved, which Meskanen said is very important.

Meskanen himself is currently in Finland attending a conference of ambassadors.

‘No reason to overreact’

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Elena Valtonen (NCP) interview Finland told Hyer at the end of July that it was ready to withdraw its peacekeeping troops from Lebanon if the situation required.

Meskanen said it was too early to speculate at what stage of the conflict a withdrawal would be warranted.

“This decision will not be taken lightly, we are not at that stage yet. I can say that this option will only be considered if Israel launches a large-scale ground invasion,” Meskanen said.

Meskanen called for patience. Finnish troops are not stationed along the Israeli-Lebanese border near the UN withdrawal line, the so-called “Blue Line,” but farther along the border between the two countries.

“I want to stress that this is not the time to overreact. The situation has been delicate since October and we have seen escalations in southern Lebanon before,” Meskanen told Yle.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been operating in Lebanon for more than 40 years, and Meskanin pointed out that the situation in Lebanon and the conflict in Gaza are not on a separate track.

“You have to realize that this situation is linked to the war in Gaza and ultimately to the unresolved issue of Palestinian statehood,” Meskanen said.