Finland is concerned that US commitment to Ukraine and Europe may be faltering under newly elected US President Donald Trump, Jussi Halla-aho, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament told Kyiv Post.
“We constantly talk to our American friends – and all our friends – and try to convince them on the need to keep arming Ukraine,” he said, speaking from his office in the Finnish parliament last week.
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This week, Trump said that he held ceasefire talks over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Days before, on Feb. 7, Halla-aho warned against negotiating with Putin from a position of vulnerability.
“If there are peace negotiations, you cannot negotiate with the Russians from a position of weakness. It must be made clear to Mr. Putin that he cannot win this war,” Halla-aho said. “We are concerned about the impact of Mr. Trump’s re-election on their commitment to helping Ukraine, their commitment to the defense of Europe.”
When asked whether Finland would support talks that could see Ukraine conceding occupied territories, he was clear: “We don’t know exactly what Ukraine will decide, and we cannot make those decisions on behalf of the Ukrainians. If the Ukrainians are not prepared to make such compromises, we will not pressure them to do so. But if they find it acceptable or necessary at some point, we will support them.”
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As for Finnish support for sending troops to Ukraine, Halla-aho said that the country’s recent dramatic shifts in foreign and security policy in the wake of Russian aggression has reshaped its traditionally neutral non-aligned stance.
Over the past three years, Halla-aho said, Finland has undergone significant changes – highlighted by the historic decision to join NATO, impose sanctions on Russia, and supply war materiel to Ukraine.
“This required Finnish politicians to completely change their traditional ways of thinking.”
“I am sure whatever the big powers and the NATO family and the EU family decide to do, Finland will not stay outside. Finland will be part of that effort. But I would consider it very unlikely that Finland would take the initiative in such principally very big questions.”
Halla-aho said that once Russia’s war is over, Ukraine will need credible security guarantees to prevent Russia from trying for another land-grab.
“And at the moment, NATO is the only provider of such security guarantees that Russia takes seriously,” Halla-aho said.
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