Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen announces paternity leave amid NATO bid, Mikko Savola to replace him
antti kaikkonen
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen will be taking paternity leave for almost two months early next year amid his country's bid to join NATO.
Kaikkonen on Twitter said, "Children are only little for a moment, and I want to remember it in more than just photographs."
Centre MP Mikko Savola will take Kaikkonen's place in his absence.Centre party members praised his decision, AFP reported.
Praising Kaikkonen, the Finance Minister and Centre Party leader Annika Saariko said, "We proudly support Antti Kaikkonene's decision."
)
Indus treaty can no longer function in its current form, says India; plans 5,500 mw of new J&K hydro projects
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters with most runs in India vs Zimbabwe T20Is
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
)
'There is no need for...': PM Modi takes a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, sends big message amid Parliament March
)
'Now come to us': CJP resumes protest after Parliament march violence, calls meeting with Nadda 'waste of time'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
2026 FIFA World Cup awards: Full list of Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove and every major winner
)
'What is wrong...': Anna Hazare breaks silence on Sonam Wangchuk's protest, makes an appeal to Centre
)
Xi Jinping's new AI bloc: China launches 'World AI Body' with Pakistan and Russia in, India out
)
'We acted immediately...': Indian PM Modi breaks silence on paper leaks as NEET protest, calls for Education Minister's resignation grows
)
UP BTech gold medalist dies by suicide after failing in nearly 50 govt job attempts, leaves note for father
)
'Guru is the...': Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shares message on education amid calls for his resignation
)
Jail over Khamenei post: J&K youth returns home after 3 months in Saudi custody
)
Japan is selling a refrigerator to cool the human body for Rs 9 lakh. It is already a hit in Tokyo
)
Truck loaded with stones, metro stations closed: What's happening at Jantar Mantar now
)
Student union leaders call off hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after civil society appeal, but protest continues
)
Salman Khan breaks silence on health concerns after viral Mumbai appearance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
)
Iran strikes Amazon data infrastructure in Bahrain, power, water desalination plants in Kuwait
)
3.5-million-year-old mystery creature found in Japan is a 'giant' never seen before
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s cockpit glass is thicker than a standard fighter jet
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026 team of the tournament: The best XI that ruled football’s biggest stage
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 20-26, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, 72 Hours- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
FACT CHECK: Was Abhijit Dipke detained during CJP's Parliament march? Here's what police say
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland broke their non-alignment and might become NATO members.
Both countries got support from all 30 NATO members exceptTurkey and Hungary.
While Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last month said that the country would approve Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO, Turkey has demanded more rigid stands by both countries against Kurdish militants.
Finland offers 54 days of paternity leave to fathers whose children were born before September 2022.
According to the government, 80 per cent of fathers in Finland take paternity leave.
In the 1990s, the then prime minister Paavo Lipponen took paternity leave, making it a ground-breaking decision.
(with inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE