Editing Tarja Halonen (section)

===First term: 2000–2006===
[[File:Vladimir Putin in Finland 2-3 September 2001-8.jpg|thumb|right|[[Russian President]] [[Vladimir Putin]] and Tarja Halonen in Helsinki, 2–3 September 2001.]]
[[File:President Tarja Halonen and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz in 2002.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Tarja Halonen and [[Paul Wolfowitz]] in 2002]]
[[File:Tarja Halonen 2003.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Halonen visit to [[Brazil]], in October 2003]]
After her narrow election victory in the first election, Halonen's approval ratings rose and reached a peak of 88% in December 2003.

In a 2001 interview Halonen said that she was worried about the Russian response if NATO approved membership bids by [[Baltic countries]].<ref>[http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/arkisto.shtml/arkistot/kotimaa/2001/04/54353 Halonen: Baltian maiden liittyminen Natoon epäilyttää]. MTV3. 8 April 2001</ref> Latvian President [[Vaira Vike-Freiberga]] asked what she meant and whether Halonen is actively opposing NATO membership of Baltic countries.<ref>[http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/arkisto.shtml/arkistot/kotimaa/2001/05/58431 Halosen Nato-lausunnoista kohu]. MTV3. 7 May 2001</ref>

In the ''Iraqgate'' scandal, Halonen's advisor Martti Manninen leaked confidential documents to the Centre Party leader [[Anneli Jäätteenmäki]], who had become prime minister. The revelations led to the resignation of Jäätteenmäki.<ref>[http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Book+on+Iraq+leak+scandal+Manninen+leaked+secret+documents+out+of+job+frustration/1076152898381 Book on Iraq leak scandal: Manninen leaked secret documents out of job frustration]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020184240/http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Book%2Bon%2BIraq%2Bleak%2Bscandal%2BManninen%2Bleaked%2Bsecret%2Bdocuments%2Bout%2Bof%2Bjob%2Bfrustration/1076152898381 |date=20 October 2012 }}</ref>

Halonen has opposed the use of [[landmines]] in Finnish military doctrine.<ref>[http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Halonen+criticised+as+global+do-gooder+PM+Vanhanen+comes+to+President%E2%80%99s+defence/1076152567277 Halonen criticised as global do-gooder; PM Vanhanen comes to President’s defence]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020061213/http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Halonen%2Bcriticised%2Bas%2Bglobal%2Bdo-gooder%2BPM%2BVanhanen%2Bcomes%2Bto%2BPresident%E2%80%99s%2Bdefence/1076152567277 |date=20 October 2012 }}</ref>

Halonen has defended [[cluster bomb]]s and did not sign a treaty which would have banned Finland from using these kinds of weapons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uusisuomi.fi/kotimaa/39742-halonen-kiistellysta-sopimuksesta-suomella-ei-ollut-mahdollisuuksia|title=Halonen puolustaa rypälepommeja: "Suomella ei ole mahdollisuuksia"|date=31 October 2008 |access-date=28 May 2018}}</ref>