Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated that Ukraine has gained leverage against Russia, noting that Moscow's renewed discussions of negotiations coincide with Ukraine's military, political, and diplomatic strengthening. Valtonen's remarks were made during an interview at the United Nations headquarters in New York. She emphasized that Ukraine has significantly improved its position over the past few months, which could create opportunities for advancing peace talks.
Valtonen highlighted that Finland, which shares an 820-mile border with Russia, has become a frontline state in Europe’s security landscape since joining NATO in April 2023. She pointed out that Russia has shown little willingness to make concessions and reiterated that the responsibility for ending the war lies with the Kremlin. Valtonen expressed hope that this could be the right time to relaunch negotiations, emphasizing that any serious talks would require Russia to agree to a full ceasefire.
She acknowledged the role of the United States in the negotiation process but stressed that Ukraine must decide on any concessions regarding territory. Valtonen also noted that Europe needs to be involved in the negotiations due to the direct impact of the conflict on the continent's security. Furthermore, she discussed Finland's increased defense spending, which is set to rise to 3.2% of GDP by 2030, and praised the contributions of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
Valtonen's comments also touched on the ongoing situation in Iran, indicating Finland's support for U.S. efforts to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state and maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz. She stated that Finland has been assisting the U.S. in various ways, despite not having U.S. military bases on its territory.
