Finland has offered the Fennica icebreaker to the United States for sale or lease. The vessel was built in 1993 and has served both Arctic and offshore industrial duties. No agreement has yet been reached.
Negotiations continue between Finnish and U.S. officials. The United States is also in talks to acquire two new icebreakers to be built in Finland. These discussions are separate but concurrent with talks over Fennica.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed in The Hague on Wednesday that he is negotiating the purchase of a used Finnish icebreaker. “We are talking about buying one used icebreaker from Finland,” he told Ilta-Sanomat.
The Fennica, a multifunctional icebreaker, has worked winters in Finland and been leased in summers for offshore oil and gas operations. It previously served in Alaska and has recently operated in Canadian waters. It is based in Kotka alongside its sister ship, the Nordica.
Due to its complex design and capabilities, maintaining Fennica is costly. It was developed as a prototype for future multi-purpose vessels, followed by Nordica in 1994.
Sources close to the talks told Ilta-Sanomat that any deal would be financially structured to enable Finland to replace the vessel with a new one. The sale or lease must not hinder Finland’s ability to keep northern ports open during harsh winters.
Reko-Antti Suojanen, industry counsellor at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, confirmed that talks are ongoing. He declined to name the vessel under negotiation but ruled out Finland’s newest icebreaker Polaris.
“There are several options on the table, and the overall picture is complex,” Suojanen said.
If a deal is struck, it would involve Finnish shipyards and a North American public agency rather than the Finnish state itself. Approval by the U.S. Congress is required before any purchase moves forward. The financial aspect also depends on whether the U.S. can allocate funds in its federal budget.
Due to the expected size of the order and its foreign origin, the deal remains politically sensitive in Washington.
HT
