Peter Vesterbacka

EXCLUSIVE: The EU will appoint a senior Finnish diplomat as its new ambassador to the U.K., as British PM Keir Starmer pushes for a new rapprochement with the bloc. politico.eu/article/new-eu…

The past several weeks of warnings from Russia's largest bank heads now becoming reality as Russians are draining their bank accounts.

Today we're launching @pitdotcom, with $16M funding led by @a16z. For ten years at Voi and other companies I watched something that drove me crazy. Smart people hired for their judgment, spending evenings reconciling data between systems that were never designed to talk to each other and chasing approvals over email at 11pm. Work that had nothing to do with why they joined. So we started building custom AI systems internally to take that work off their plates. Across Voi and Klarna the founding team had been doing this for years, because nothing on the market could actually do the job. The systems worked, but each one was a fragile one-off we couldn't hand to anyone else. Pit is what we wished existed back then. A platform that learns how your business actually works and builds the AI systems that run it for you, with enterprise security and governance from day one.

Zakharova says that Russia has sent letters to diplomacy missions in Ukraine, saying they should evacuate their staff from Kyiv. If Ukraine launches a strike on Russia on May 9, then Russia will strike back at Kyiv. Russia is very afraid. Also, Russia doesn't need a reason to launch strikes at Kyiv. It has already done so many, many, many times. Several embassies were damaged, including the embassies of Poland, Azerbaijan and the EU embassy.

Andreessen Horowitz has led a $16 million funding round for Pit, an artificial intelligence startup based in Sweden bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

ZELENSKYY: Russia has fought to the point where its main parade now depends on us. This is a clear signal: it’s time to end this war. Ukraine is ready to work for peace. Russia received clear proposal from us on ceasefire and diplomatic steps, and it knows how to contact Ukraine or its partners to finalize details. However, if that one person in Moscow who cannot live without war is interested only in parade and nothing else, then that's a different matter. I thank everyone who stands with us and with Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!

For Orthodox Easter, Russia proposed a ceasefire. Only to intensify its brutal attacks on Ukraine - almost 8,000 violations of the ceasefire they proposed. Now, a ceasefire proposed only to guarantee a pause for their Red Square celebrations. Today’s air strikes on Ukraine once again show Russia is not serious when it talks of ceasefire or peace. The only way to stop human suffering and allow space for meaningful peace talks is to stop the killing immediately and agree a long-term ceasefire.

Someone quietly placed a massive $920 million crude oil short at 3:40 a.m. ET this morning. Just 70 minutes later, Axios reported the U.S. and Iran were close to a 14 point deal to end the war. Oil prices crashed, and someone made a fortune. The golden age of corruption.

About 2,300 North Korean soldiers have died fighting for Russia against Ukraine bbc.com/news/articles/…

Tämänkin takia olisi syytä siirtyä yhteiseen uskonto- ja katsomusaineeseen. iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a/5…

Ulkomaisten matkailijoiden yöpymiset Suomessa ylittivät joulukuussa ensi kertaa kotimaiset yle.fi/a/74-20224914

Today I had the privilege of attending a comprehensive and insightful briefing on Finland’s security policy delivered by The Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs @elinavaltonen to the diplomatic corps. Her clarity, depth of analysis, and principled approach to today’s evolving global security landscape were truly commendable. Together with the Ambassador of Kenya, HE Angeline Musili @Mamagov1 we also expressed our appreciation for the leadership of The President of Finland , His Excellency President @alexstubb and his strong commitment to inclusiveness in global governance, particularly his clear support for greater African representation within the United Nations system. As President Stubb stated: “Africa’s permanent representation in the Security Council is long overdue. The reformed Council should have two permanent members from Africa, alongside with new permanent members from Asia and Latin America.” His thoughtful engagement on the question of Security Council reform and veto power reflects an important recognition of the need for a more balanced and representative international order. We also emphasized the importance of strengthening Finland–Africa economic relations by addressing barriers to trade, including through Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTTA), while also underscoring the need to contextualize crises as part of interconnected global challenges. Sustainable solutions require not only collective action, but also an honest consideration of the root causes that drive conflict, instability, and inequality.

Nuoret nerot valtasivat Hietalahden palatsin ja haluavat seuraavaksi ostaa sen hs.fi/visio/art-2000…

Over the next two days, Poland and Lithuania will be the first countries to sign SAFE loan agreements. These two plans alone are over €50 billion, to close critical capability gaps and keep our Eastern flank safe. With SAFE, we are strengthening our defence industry all across Europe. Delivering the capabilities we need. Faster, together and at scale.

This is literally the funniest moment in the history of American foreign policy.

Over 120 flights canceled in Moscow, as the filthy savages enjoy their war of territorial expansion.

Something is happening. Orban's defeat on April 12 was the first positive signal. Ukraine's rise in the war against Russia is a broad positive signal. Trump's complete folly in his war against Iran is a third. Suddenly, Russia looks shaky. Will something happen?

“This is no longer our war.” The Kremlin is facing its biggest split in decades The Washington Post reports that Russian elites are increasingly at odds with one another amid the war, economic problems, and intensifying repression. According to the publication, Sergei Kirienko’s team is arguing with the FSB over the country’s future. Some are convincing Putin that the situation can be controlled through propaganda and political maneuvering. Security officials, however, are demanding even tighter controls and increased censorship. The newspaper’s sources compare the situation to the 1996 crisis—one of the most difficult periods for the Russian government since the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to the WP’s sources, there is a growing sense of hopelessness and loss of control within the system. Officials and business leaders are increasingly referring to the war as Putin’s adventure rather than a common cause. For the Russian system, built on personal loyalty to the dictator, this is an alarming sign. Putin has led the country into a dead end, and no one understands what will happen next.

I’m grateful to our warriors for their precision – today, Ukraine’s long-range sanctions have once again reached Perm, which is more than 1,500 kilometers from our border. Recently, there have also been important results in Chelyabinsk – up to 1,800 kilometers away, as well as in Yekaterinburg – nearly 2,000 kilometers away. The effects of Ukraine’s long-range capabilities have also been felt in Novorossiysk, Krymsk, Tuapse, and in the Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions. We have repeatedly offered the Russian leadership the option of moving toward peace. In response, we have received only new Russian strikes. That is exactly why Ukraine’s long-range sanctions are extending to distant locations in Russia linked to its military-industrial complex, war infrastructure, and the financing of its aggression. Every day, Russia can make a choice and end its war. And not for a few hours in order to receive our permission to hold a parade in Moscow, but in a way that protects human lives. People must be valued, not parades. There is a need to establish peace, rather than running around the world’s capitals begging for a pause on May 9. We need peace. Thank you to everyone helping bring Russia to this realization.

For the first time, a non-European nation has taken part in the European Political Community Summit. It was an honour to represent Canada in Yerevan, Armenia. In an era of great power rivalry and increasing division, we’re focused on creating more peace, security, and stability in the world.