US embassy cable - 04HELSINKI1442

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001442 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, EU, UP, FI, Finland-Ukraine 
SUBJECT: FINLAND:  RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON SECOND ROUND OF 
UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 240442 
 
Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1.  (C)  Poloff delivered reftel points to Tulla Yrjola, the 
Counselor for Ukraine in Finland's MFA on November 10. 
Yrjola confirmed that the two Finnish observers that worked 
with the OSCE during the first round of the Presidential 
Election in Ukraine would return for the second round. 
Yrjola said that Finland shared U.S. and OSCE concern about 
widespread irregularities noted in reftel, although she added 
that this was not unexpected, and that Finland's overall 
assessment of the election was not as pessimistic as that of 
some other EU countries.  She said that Finland had already 
received an OSCE request for additional observers and was 
considering this.  She declined to comment on whether Finland 
would actively seek to investigate, monitor, or revoke the 
visas of Ukrainians suspected of electoral fraud or 
malfeasance. (Comment: Given its limited resources, it is 
unlikely Finland would have the capability to do so other 
than in exceptional cases.) 
MACK