Sweden Finland. There are several connections from the Stockholm area across the Sea of Åland to Mariehamn in the Åland Islands as well as Turku and Helsinki on the Finnish mainland and beyond to Estonia and St Petersburg in Russia. Ferry routes from the Stockholm area also connect with Ventspils and Riga in Latvia as well as Gdańsk in Poland across the Baltic Sea. The ferry ports of Karlskrona and Karlshamn in southeastern Sweden serve Gdynia, Poland, and Klaipeda, Lithuania. Ystad and Trelleborg near the southern tip of Sweden have ferry links with the Danish island of Bornholm and the German
Independence of Finland middle of peace negotiations with Soviet Russia, pressured Finns to talk to Lenin and Council of People's Commissars. Svinhufvud followed their advice, as Finland wanted Germany's recognition as soon as possible. On 18 December (31 December N. S.) the Soviet Russian government issued a decree recognising Finland's independence, and on 22 December (4 January 1918 N. S.) it was approved by the highest Soviet executive body, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK). The independence of Finland was recognised by Germany, Sweden and France on 4 January 1918, by Norway and Denmark on 10 January and by Austria-Hungary on 13 January.