‘Sacrificing’ parts of Ukrainian territory for a settlement would ‘only deepen Russia's aggression,’ says Finnish foreign minister
Finland on Tuesday rejected any territorial concessions to Russia as part of a diplomatic settlement in Ukraine and warned that such actions would not bring peace but instead embolden further Russian “aggression” in the region.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told an annual ambassadors conference in Berlin that the latest Russian airstrikes on Ukraine—the most severe since the war began—clearly demonstrated that Russia is not ready for a ceasefire, let alone negotiations.
"If, in negotiations, parts of Ukrainian territory or elements of its sovereignty were to be sacrificed, we would not solve the fundamental problem, but rather potentially deepen Russia's aggression," the minister warned.
"Russian President Putin is conducting hybrid warfare throughout Europe—influencing elections, disrupting GPS systems for air traffic, and deploying a shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea region. The problem with Putin cannot be solved at the expense of Ukraine," she said.
Valtonen argued that Western nations must maintain their strong support for Ukraine, strategically contain Russia's ambitions, and limit Moscow's options by enacting tougher trade and economic sanctions and applying tariffs on all Russian exports to the EU internal market.
