President Biden will meet Sauli Niinistö, Finland's head of state, as well as various Nordic leaders while in the Finnish capital.

Yle reports on its English-language page that this summit will include prime ministers of the Nordic nations, Finland's own head of government, Petteri Orpo (NCP), only installed last month, will not be present – officially because the Finnish prime minister's role is focused on domestic matters.

Biden arrived at Helsinki Airport, Vantaa, just after 10 p.m.on Wednesday, direct from the Vilnius summit – Finland's first as a NATO member state.

Tight security saw several streets surrounding the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, the venue for Thursday's meeting, cordoned-off, as well as a zone around Helsinki harbor being restricted and/or wholly off-limits to the public, during the visit.

Eagle-eyed passengers on a cruise ship Wednesday spotted a submarine off the coast of the Finnish capital, later identified as a Russian vessel, Delfi reports (link in Estonian) – police and birder guard on both sides of the Gulf of Finland say there is nothing unusual in this.

The last time a U.S. President made an official visit to Helsinki, almost five years ago to the day, things were very different. That time, then-President Donald Trump held a meeting, before the media, with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Putin visited the Finnish capital for an official meeting with Sauli Niinistö in autumn the following year, 2019.

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