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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/gold-rush-in-eastern-finland-billions-await-below-ground/

Finland

Gold rush in eastern Finland – billions await below ground

Published October 4, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Gold is seen as a safe investment during uncertain times – its value has remained stable for centuries and the price is now breaking records almost daily.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Deposits believed to contain gold worth several billion euros have been discovered in eastern Finland. Mining company Endomines is now planning a massive expansion and aims to become a significant global gold producer.

In the easternmost part of Finland, just a few dozen kilometers from the Russian border, large gold deposits have raised hopes of an imminent gold rush. Record-high gold prices and new promising discoveries are giving Finnish mining company Endomines a bright outlook for the future.

— I believe in gold. There's enormous potential here that hasn't been exploited yet. We're finding new promising deposits all the time, says the company's CEO Kari Vyhtinen to Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The latest major discovery is the Ukko deposit in the municipality of Ilomantsi, where gold occurs in connection with an enormous iron formation that is seven kilometers long. The deposit is part of the so-called Karelian gold line, a 40-kilometer-long area in Ilomantsi's greenstone belt.

According to Bo Långbacka, a specialist expert at the Geological Survey of Finland, the Finnish bedrock is fully comparable to the rich ore areas in Canada and Australia. He believes that Finland, from that perspective, has Europe's best conditions for gold extraction.

Seven-fold production increase planned

Currently, Endomines knows of approximately half a million troy ounces of gold (about 15.5 tons) in its area, but the goal is significantly higher than that.

— In five years, we should ideally know of two million troy ounces of gold. Our gold production could then amount to 100,000 troy ounces, Vyhtinen continues.

This would mean a seven-fold production increase, and with today's gold price, which is around €106 per gram, such production would be worth approximately €330 million annually.

1,200 meters underground

Endomines currently operates two mines in Ilomantsi – the Pampalo mine and the Hosko mine. At the Pampalo mine, work is now being conducted at a depth of 900 meters, and by 2032, operations will be 1.2 kilometers underground.

The company invests four to six million euros annually in prospecting to find new gold deposits. Operations are growing rapidly – the company has about a hundred employees and recently hired 20 new staff members.

Ahead of autumn's test drilling at the Ukko deposit, the CEO says the excitement keeps him awake at night.

— It's so exciting and thrilling to wait for the results, says Vyhtinen.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finlands-former-president-europe-should-speak-directly-with-putin/

Finland

Finland’s former president: Europe should speak directly with Putin

Published November 11, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Finnish former President Sauli Niinistö believes that Europe must remain European.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Finland's former president Sauli Niinistö believes that European leaders should engage in direct talks with Moscow instead of relying solely on information from Donald Trump. He also warns that Europe is losing its role as a global power.

Niinistö criticizes the current situation where European countries lack direct contact with Russian leaders, while US President Donald Trump negotiates with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine's future. Niinistö argues that Europe should instead initiate direct talks with Russia to influence the outcome of the war.

— French President Emmanuel Macron is likely the last one to have called, and before that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about a year ago. And he was criticized for it, Niinistö told Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

He defended Scholz's decision to contact the Kremlin and describes the current situation as absurd.

— I defended him and still think that it is in a way an absurd situation that Europeans say they won't talk to the war criminal Putin. But Trump does it, and then we go and hear what they talked about, he explained.

Niinistö points out the paradox that Europeans are simultaneously worried that Putin and Trump will discuss Europe's future over the heads of the European countries themselves.

Europe has lost its global position

Furthermore, Niinistö notes that Europe's significance has decreased markedly during the 21st century. Today, it is primarily the US, China, and Russia that make the decisive decisions on the global stage.

When Finland joined the EU in the 1990s, the union was a voice that the world listened to. The situation was similar even after the turn of the millennium. Now, however, Europe has disappeared from the power quadrangle, according to Niinistö. He particularly points to how the US and China compete economically and divide the world between them in what he describes as a struggle for nations' loyalty.

— Europe must keep Europe European and must absolutely not submit to becoming an object of division, so that someone belongs to one camp and someone else to another, he says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-introduces-employment-requirement-for-citizenship/

Finland

Finland introduces employment requirement for citizenship

Published November 5, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

From December, those who rely solely on unemployment benefits or income support will no longer be able to obtain Finnish citizenship. During a two-year period, applicants may receive benefits for a maximum of three months.

The second phase of Finland's citizenship law reform now takes effect in December. The change means that citizenship can no longer be granted to people who support themselves solely through unemployment benefits or income support, i.e., social assistance, from Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland).

— Successful integration, employment, and respect for Finnish society's rules are conditions that must be met to be granted citizenship, says Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen in a press release.

In addition to the income requirement, the changes mean that those who do not actively contribute to establishing their identity cannot be granted citizenship. The conditions for loss of citizenship have also been tightened.

In practice, applicants must be able to support themselves financially without benefits for two years before they can begin the application process.

Strongly pushed the issue

During government negotiations, many parties agreed that the tightening was needed, and a majority of the current government strongly pushed the issue. However, the Swedish People's Party of Finland attempted to bring it down to a "reasonable level".

— This was politically an issue that the majority of the government very strongly pushed for, and where SFP tried as best we could to get it to a reasonable level somehow. But we were quite alone in that view, says Member of Parliament Sandra Bergqvist to Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

The tightening only applies to people of working age. The requirement for secure income does not apply to applicants under 18 years or people over 65 years.

For children, the law can still cause problems indirectly, since children usually apply for citizenship together with their guardian. If the guardian does not meet the income requirement, the child's application may also be rejected.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finnish-region-loses-millions-in-revenue-after-border-closure-with-russia/

Finland

Finnish region loses millions in revenue after border closure with Russia

The new cold war

Published November 5, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The border crossing between Russia (Svetogorsk) and Finland (Imatra)
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish region of South Karelia has been severely impacted economically since Finland closed its border with Russia at the end of 2023. Tourism revenue has decreased by approximately one million euros per day, and hotels, restaurants and shops stand empty.

South Karelia is located closer to St. Petersburg than to Helsinki, the Finnish capital, and has maintained extensive economic ties with Russia for decades.

The region's economy has been built on cross-border tourism, shopping, timber trade and local jobs within the forest industry.

Finland's decision to close the 1,430-kilometer land border with Russia was motivated by accusations that Moscow had deliberately created an increased migrant flow from Africa and the Middle East to Finland. Moscow has in turn dismissed the accusations as "completely groundless".

Impact on local businesses

Hotels, restaurants and shops in the region now stand largely empty, reports Bloomberg.

– Russian customers asked why we couldn’t stay open around the clock. They bought clothes in stacks – mostly the latest fashion and bling, but even winter coats were sold out by August, says Sari Tukiainen, who runs a shop in Imatra, a Finnish border town.

Due to decreased sales, Tukiainen plans to close the shop at the end of the year. Unemployment in Imatra has simultaneously risen to 15 percent, the highest in Finland, as factories and steel mills have reduced their workforce.

Historically, Finland has had a complex relationship with Russia. The country was part of the Russian Empire for over a century, and despite two wars with the Soviet Union during World War II, a friendly relationship was maintained during the Cold War.

After the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022, Finland was early to impose sanctions against Moscow. The country also abandoned its long-standing neutrality by joining the US-led military alliance NATO, a step that has further changed the economic and political dynamics in the region.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finnish-municipality-phases-out-ultra-processed-foods-in-schools/

Finland

Finnish municipality phases out ultra-processed foods in schools

Published November 3, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Bouillon cubes and ready-made sauce bases are to be replaced with natural ingredients in the schools of Sipoo, Finland. The changes are expected to be visible on the menus next year.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish municipality of Sipoo is implementing comprehensive changes to school meals to reduce the use of ultra-processed foods. Bouillon cubes and ready-made sauce bases will be replaced with natural ingredients.

In August, the municipality formed an expert group consisting of the food service manager, purchasing manager, nutritional therapist, and meal development specialist – with the goal of developing clear guidelines to reduce the use of additives and ultra-processed foods in school meals.

The proposals the group has presented so far include eliminating bouillon cubes and industrial sauce bases and replacing them with salt, spices, and other natural ingredients. Cooking cream will be used to a much greater extent than vegetable fat.

The changes are expected to appear on school menus either in spring or fall of next year. Intensive work is currently underway to reformulate recipes for brown sauce, bolognese sauce, and chicken sauce.

— The cook and chill method, where food is prepared, cooled down, transported to schools and reheated, requires us to carefully test the products to ensure they also work when reheated in the serving kitchens. The food must taste at least as good as it does now, says Tiina Soikkeli, who has taken on the role of food service manager, to Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Municipal budget sets limits

If the new recipes work well, the municipality plans to continue revising more dishes, though there are financial constraints.

The municipality can only implement changes that do not incur additional costs. Products such as salad dressings, chicken nuggets, and meatballs will therefore retain their current versions.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com