Juho Kusti Paasikivi



Juho Kusti Paasikivi (27 November 1870 – 14 December 1956) was President of Finland from 1946 to 1956.

Quotes

 * Kaiken viisauden alku on tosiasiain tunnustaminen.
 * Translation: The beginning of all wisdom is acknowledgement of facts.
 * Source: Quoted on the Paasikivi monument in Helsinki, supposedly originating from Thomas Carlyle


 * Venäläisten muuttumattomana politiikkana on saada, mitä he voivat, niin vähällä kuin mahdollista, ja sitten pyytää lisää. He eivät uhraa koskaan välittömiä etujaan tulevaisuuden päämäärien hyväksi. He eivät kiinnitä koskaan huomiota siihen mitä on sanottu, vaan ainoastaan siihen, mitä on tehty. He pyrkivät saamaan korkean hinnan siitä, minkä ymmärtävät joutuvansa tekemään joka tapauksessa. He ovat immuuneja eettisille, humanitaarisille ja abstraktiin oikeuteen perustuville tekijöille ollen pelkästään käytännöllisten ja realististen näkökohtien vaikutettavissa.
 * Translation: "The immutable Russian policy is to get whatever they can with the least possible effort, and then ask for more. They never sacrifice their immediate benefits for future goals. They never take into account what has been said, but what has been done.  They try to exact a high price for anything that they understand they have to do in any case.  They are immune to ethical, humanitarian and abstract juridical arguments, being affected only by practical and realistic points of view."
 * Source: Paasikivi in a private letter (1891) from Novgorod, studying Russian culture on a grant.

Quotes about Paasikivi

 * I have learned with regret of the passing of Finland's illustrious former President Paasikivi. On behalf of the American people and myself I send sincere condolences to both you and the people of Finland in the loss of President Paasikivi who served his people so well through a difficult period in the history of Finland.
 * Dwight D. Eisenhower; Telegram to the President of Finland on the Death of Former President Paasikivi Online, The American Presidency Project; 15 December 1956