Finland's foreign minister backs Ukraine: 'I expect anything from Putin'
Photo: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen (Getty Images)
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged for increased assistance to Ukraine in the war. The ministry believes that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin only understands the language of force, states Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.
"I expect anything from Putin. It is time for us to grow up. Putin is a dictator who understands only force," she said.
According to Valtonen, the Kremlin is currently focused on spreading disinformation to diminish support for Ukraine.
"No one wants peace more than Ukraine. But if anyone thinks that stopping the supply of weapons will end the war, I can only say this: it will not lead to the end of the war; it will lead to the end of Ukraine," she clarified.
In the minister's opinion, Germany and France are currently the main targets for Russia in its hybrid war against the West.
Additionally, the Finnish Foreign Minister believes that in the future, EU countries will need to spend more on defense than NATO members to reach the target of two percent of GDP.
Relations between Finland and Russia
It was reported back in June that Finland decided to freeze relations with Russia while the war in Ukraine continues.
In particular, a new foreign policy report stated that the threat of Russia expanding military operations beyond Ukraine cannot be ruled out. Finland and the EU must be prepared for this.
As a result, Finland recently permanently closed the temporary border crossing points Inari and Parikkala on the border with Russia. They had not been operational since 2022.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Russia is increasing hostile activity in Finland. The Kremlin is conducting large-scale influence operations against Finland and other European countries.
