MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Trump triumphed over Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton in the November 8 presidential election. He gained 276 electoral votes, which is more than 270 needed to win.
"Transatlantic relation… won’t change because the roots [between Europe and the United States] are historical and strong. We need each other," Vanhanen, who was Finland’s prime minister from 2003 to 2010, said.
The new president will not undermine US commitment to NATO despite Trump's earlier pledges to only support other NATO states should they be attacked if the allies had "fulfilled their obligations" with respect to Washington, the Finnish politician noted.
"No, he will never do it. US will be strongly committed to NATO during Trump’s tenure," Vanhanen, a member of the Center Party, stressed, asked whether NATO risks to be deprived of US funding in connection to Trump’s arrival to the White House will be realized.
Vanhanen also admitted that Trump’s victory over Clinton came as a surprise to the majority of Finns.
"We didn’t like his jokes but we are democratic nation, when a state like US freely elects [a president] we, of course, will have cooperation with the elected president. We accept the result totally," the lawmaker emphasized.
