Protestors hold slogans during a demonstration against the idea of territorial swap and to demand prisoners exchange between Ukraine and Russia, outside the US embassy in Kyiv on August 15, 2025. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP / Lehtikuva
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Finland and seven other Nordic-Baltic countries have issued a joint statement condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine and warning that President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted in any effort to achieve peace.
The statement, released on Saturday, followed a series of high-level meetings in the region and came one day after a summit between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska.
“Experience has shown that Putin cannot be trusted,” the statement read. “Russia’s aggression and imperialist ambitions are the root causes of this war.”
The eight signatories — Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — reaffirmed their full support for Ukrainian sovereignty, underlining that only Ukraine has the right to determine its future.
The joint declaration called for a ceasefire, credible security guarantees, the release of Ukrainian children taken from occupied territories, and renewed commitments from Western nations to prevent further Russian military action. It also stated that Russia has no veto over Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO or the EU.
“We demand that Russia urgently returns children who have been abducted from occupied territories, as well as prisoners of war and civilian prisoners,” the statement added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move in a message posted to Telegram. “All of these points are important to achieve a truly sustainable and reliable peace,” he wrote, calling the statement “principled.”
The declaration followed the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, which ended without any agreement on a ceasefire. The Nordic-Baltic group expressed support for diplomatic efforts but insisted that any settlement must not come at the cost of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The countries also offered to host a future summit in Europe focused on securing a lasting resolution to the war.
The statement comes amid ongoing tensions between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and parts of the coalition government led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, particularly over policy in the Middle East.
Stubb has expressed support for recognising Palestinian statehood, a position opposed by two parties in Orpo’s four-party government. Last month, Orpo reportedly urged Stubb to delay public statements on the issue.
Under Finland’s constitution, the president leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government, while the government is responsible for European Union matters.
On Friday, Stubb met with members of the government’s Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy at the presidential summer residence, Kultaranta, to discuss Ukraine and the broader international situation.
According to the president’s office, the discussions focused on supporting Ukraine and maintaining pressure on Russia. They also addressed the Middle East and the status of diplomatic efforts toward a two-state solution.
Following the closed-door meeting, Kultaranta’s gardens were opened to the public.
Finland has been one of Ukraine’s most active supporters since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. As of late June, it had provided €2.8 billion in defence aid to Ukraine.
President Stubb will join a virtual meeting of European leaders on Sunday ahead of a planned visit to Washington on Monday.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
