Finnish foreign minister stands against "Finlandisation" of Ukraine – Reuters
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen believes that imposing neutrality on Ukraine, as happened in Finnish history after the war with the Soviet Union in the 1940s, will not lead to a peaceful resolution of the crisis with Russia.
Source: Valtonen in an interview with Reuters, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Valtonen recalled that Finland had to defend itself from the Soviet invasion during World War II and, despite the peace that followed, continued to arm itself out of fear of a new conflict.
"I'm against it [Finlandisation], yes. Let's face it, Ukraine was neutral before they were attacked by Russia.
It's definitely not something I would be imposing on Ukraine. Definitely not as a first alternative," the Finnish foreign minister added.
Valtonen also expressed doubt about whether Russia could be trusted in general, even if it agreed to some kind of deal with Ukraine, stressing that forcing Ukraine to accept terms against its will would destroy the international system.
"I really want to avoid a situation where any European country, or the United States for that matter, starts negotiating over the heads of Ukraine. A larger power can not just grab territory, but also essentially weaken the sovereignty of another nation," Valtonen stressed.
For reference: Finlandisation refers to the policy Finland was compelled to adopt after its defeat in the Winter War of 1939-1940 against the USSR. It involved maintaining friendly and accommodating relations with its eastern neighbour, alongside a stance of neutrality, in order to preserve its independence.
Background:
- Given the prospect that US President-elect Donald Trump wants to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, one of his scenarios is to impose a neutral status on Ukraine.
- Russia has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine remain neutral for the sake of peace, which would effectively eliminate Kyiv's aspirations for NATO membership.
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