On February 17, 2026, the EU Council appointed Finnish police officer Satu Koivu as the new Head of Mission for the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA). She will take up her duties on February 20, replacing German Markus Ritter. Here are some facts about Satu Koivu.
EUMA has been deployed in Armenia since February 2023 with 100 observers. In December 2023, the EU foreign ministers decided to expand the mission to 209 observers. Later, a representative from Canada also joined the mission, in response, official representatives of Moscow and Baku announced that EUMA was “turning into a NATO mission.”
EUMA headquarter is located in Yeghegnadzor, and it operates in six Forward Operating Bases located in Jermuk, Yeghegnadzor, Martuni, Kapan, Goris, and Ijevan.
The EU extended EUMA’s mandate for an additional two years on January 30, 2025, until February 19, 2027.
1. How long has Satu Koivu served in the Finnish police?
Satu Koivu is a Finnish senior police officer with more than 35 years of national and international experience. Before her appointment as EUMA Head of Mission, she served at the National Police Board of Finland as Chief of Human Resources.
In this role, she was the public face of the department and commented on sensitive issues. In particular, she acknowledged that the increase in suicides among police officers in recent years was a serious concern.
2. What international experience does Satu Koivu have?
She had leadership positions within UN and EU missions in the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Namibia, and Cyprus.
3. What work did Satu Koivu do in Cyprus?
Koivu served as Senior Police Adviser at UNFICYP, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, where she acted as Head of the UN Police Component and supervisor of the mission’s 69 international police officers.
Satu KoivuPhoto: UNFICYP
Her area of responsibility was the Buffer Zone between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot populations of the island. She is the first Finn to hold a peacekeeping police leadership position at the United Nations.
4. What did Satu Koivu say about the role of women?
Satu Koivu said that she believes it is her responsibility as a leader to set the right tone by demonstrating a commitment to gender balance and by turning values into actions.
On the skepticism sometimes faced by women in leadership roles in international environments, she has said: “The skepticism is always dispelled when they see us in action.”
5. What is Satu Koivu’s approach to conflict prevention?
She is convinced that conflict prevention in the field is about managing even the smallest provocations:
Satu KoivuPhoto: UNFICYP
“Very small things, like a farmer being too close to the ceasefire line, can cause a situation and soon media and political levels are involved.”
