Paasikivi–Kekkonen line

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The Paasikivi–Kekkonen line was Finland’s Cold War foreign policy doctrine of neutrality and close, pragmatic cooperation with the Soviet Union to safeguard its independence and security.

Aliases (1)

Statements (44)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Cold War policy
foreign policy doctrine
aimedAt keeping Finland outside military alliances
maintaining friendly relations with the Soviet Union
preventing Soviet interference in Finland’s internal affairs
alsoKnownAs Paasikiven–Kekkosen linja
appliedIn Finnish foreign policy
appliedUntil end of the Cold War
consolidatedUnder Presidency of Urho Kekkonen
corePrinciple avoidance of confrontation with the Soviet Union
maintenance of a Western market economy while politically neutral
neutrality in great‑power conflicts
pragmatic cooperation with the Soviet Union
respect for Finland’s international obligations
country Finland
developedUnder Presidency of Juho Kusti Paasikivi
diplomaticApproach accommodation of Soviet security interests
active neutrality in international affairs
effect allowed Finland to integrate economically with Western Europe
enabled Finland to maintain a democratic political system
strengthened Finland’s international reputation as a neutral state
emphasized Finland’s role as a neutral buffer state
balancing relations between East and West
geopoliticalRole framework for Finland’s Cold War security policy
goal ensuring Finland’s security
safeguarding Finland’s independence
historicalContext Cold War
implementedBy Finnish government
Finnish presidency
influencedBy Juho Kusti Paasikivi’s foreign policy
Urho Kekkonen’s foreign policy
language Finnish
legalFramework 1948 Finno‑Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance
mainPartner Soviet Union
namedAfter Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Urho Kekkonen
policyType bilateral cooperation policy
neutrality policy
region Northern Europe
relatedConcept Finlandization
startPeriod late 1940s
successorPolicy post–Cold War EU‑oriented Finnish foreign policy
timePeriod late 20th century
mid‑20th century

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Paasikivi–Kekkonen line ("Presidency of Urho Kekkonen")
consolidatedUnder
Finland
foreignPolicyDoctrine
Soviet–Finnish relations
hasKeyDoctrine

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