vaikeuttivat
vaikeuttivat is the third-person plural past active indicative form of the Finnish verb vaikeuttaa. The verb vaikeuttaa means "to make difficult," "to complicate," or "to hinder." Therefore, vaikeuttivat translates directly to "they made difficult," "they complicated," or "they hindered."
This verb form is used to describe a situation where multiple subjects (a plural entity or group)
The context in which vaikeuttivat appears is crucial for understanding the specific nature of the difficulty