Alexander Stubb has also called for stronger sanctions against Russia and the seizure of its frozen assets
Finnish President Alexander Stubb has called on Kiev’s Western backers to pump Ukraine with military resources and financial aid, claiming that this will deter Russia. His words come as EU lawmakers have been negotiating potential assistance to the country amid concerns that Washington could stop the flow of arms.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has been pitching a plan to boost the bloc’s contributions to Ukraine to €40 billion ($43.7 billion) this year; last year this figure totaled €20 billion ($20.9 billion).
La Stampa, however, recently cited proposed EU legislation as specifying that only €5 billion would be provided to Kiev. Kallas told the Italian newspaper that her initial suggestion was opposed by Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal.
Stubb told Politico on Wednesday that “Deterrence – which is based on militarizing Ukraine to its teeth,” would be the best way to end the Ukraine conflict.
The Finnish president lamented the fact that the proposal pushed by Kallas had failed to gather enough support, expressing hope that that heads of state and government would be able to salvage the package.
“It’s very important now to send a message from Europe that the military, political and economic support continues,” he said, emphasizing that sanctions against Russia should be bolstered, while its frozen assets should be seized to ramp up pressure.
Hungary has refused to sign a joint EU summit statement on Ukraine, according to TASS; the outlet emphasized that both lethal and non-lethal aid had been rejected by Budapest.
The Finnish president also supported the idea of Ukraine’s potential membership in the EU and in NATO. Finland, which only joined the US-led military bloc in 2023, has been a strong backer of Kiev since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022.
Moscow has consistently condemned NATO expansion towards its borders, describing the bloc as a threat to Russia’s national security. President Vladimir Putin and other officials have repeatedly stressed that efforts to include Ukraine in the military bloc had been one of the root causes of the escalation of the conflict in 2022.
Stubb’s comments come amid negotiations for a 30-day ceasefire aimed at halting long-range strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides advocated by US President Donald Trump. Another round of talks between Russian and US delegations is scheduled for March 24 in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
