Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely in the near future, calling on European allies to support Kyiv despite the corruption scandal. He emphasized the need for European resilience and increased pressure on Russia.
The President of Finland said that the fire in Ukraine would not stop in the near future. Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely to be achieved by spring. He also called on European allies to support Kyiv despite the corruption scandal.
This is reported by AP, according to UNN.
Details
As a result of two wars with Russia in the 1940s, Finland lost about 10% of its territory to Moscow and agreed to military neutrality. However, the state changed its position after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when the Finns joined NATO.
According to Alexander Stubb, Europe will need "sisu" – a Finnish word meaning endurance, resilience, and perseverance – to get through the winter months due to Russian attacks and information warfare.
Stubb also needs this quality as one of the key European intermediaries between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"I can explain to President Trump what Finland has gone through, or how I see the situation on the battlefield, or how you deal with (Russian President Vladimir Putin). And then, you know, if he accepts one out of ten ideas, that's good," he said.
Stubb emphasized that Volodymyr Zelenskyy must deal with accusations of kickbacks and embezzlement, explaining that this scandal plays into Russia's hands, and he also called on European leaders to increase military and financial support for Kyiv.
I am not very optimistic about achieving a ceasefire or starting peace negotiations, at least this year
– said Stubb, adding that it would be good to "start something" by March.
He also stressed that the three main issues on the path to a ceasefire are security guarantees for Ukraine, the restoration of its economy, and reaching some understanding on territorial claims to bring peace to Ukraine, Stubb said.
Trump and European leaders need to maximize pressure on Russia and Putin to change his strategic thinking. Putin essentially wants to deny Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity – goals that have not changed since the war began almost four years ago
– said Stubb.
To this end, the President of Finland proposed using tools such as hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets held in Europe as collateral to finance Ukraine, as well as increasing military pressure on Moscow.
Recall
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to the first ladies of Finland and Estonia, as well as the first gentleman of Denmark. This happened during the fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv.
