Finnish President gives positive outlook on Ukraine’s future
Photo: Alexander Stubb, President of Finland (Getty Images)
Russia has completely failed its strategic objectives in the war against Ukraine. Ukraine will definitely become a member of the EU and NATO, Finnish President Alexander Stubb states in an interview with Politico.
Three major failures of the Kremlin
The President of Finland rejected the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin has strengthened his position through the war.
According to him, the Kremlin’s actions have led to completely opposite outcomes compared to what Moscow had intended.
The first and main defeat of Russia is Ukraine’s European future.
"Failure number one, Ukraine is going to be European. It’s going to be an EU member state and eventually a NATO member state," the Finnish president emphasized.
The second failure, according to Stubb, is the expansion of the Alliance, as Russian aggression pushed Finland and Sweden to abandon neutrality.
He stressed that these countries would never have joined the bloc if Russia had not attacked Ukraine, and now NATO has gained some of the strongest military states in the region.
The third blow for Moscow is the sharp increase in defense spending across Europe.
"So to talk about an empowered Russia, I just don’t believe that narrative," the Finnish leader concluded.
Ukraine’s path to the EU
On June 15, 2026, Ukraine officially opened the first Fundamentals cluster in its negotiations on accession to the EU. This cluster covers key issues of justice, freedom, and fundamental rights.
In total, the country must align six thematic legislative clusters, with 2030 currently set as an optimistic deadline for full membership.
Later, Brussels emphasized that the EU is moving toward an individual approach to Ukraine and Moldova, meaning their progress will no longer be synchronized, and the speed will depend solely on the reform results of each country.
At the same time, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted that Ukraine will not become a full EU member before the end of the war. Instead, Berlin proposed an alternative integration model for Kyiv — associated membership status as an interim step.
