Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday to move forward with additional sanctions on Russia, saying they are vital to ending the war in Ukraine.
In an interview with Reuters, Elina emphasised that the proposed secondary sanctions targeting countries buying Russian oil, especially China and India, would cut a key funding stream for Moscow’s war effort.
About Trump-Putin Meet
Trump had set Friday as the deadline for Russia to agree to peace or face the tariffs, but a potential meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin next week could delay or cancel the measures. A White House official, however, maintained that the sanctions were still on track.
Valtonen noted that Finland’s President Alexander Stubb joined other European leaders on a call with Trump this week to coordinate strategies to end the war. She stressed that continued Western arms deliveries to Kyiv are increasing pressure on Moscow.
“The reason that Russia has again shown some willingness to talk is that increased arms deliveries are definitely piling up the pressure,” she said, adding that Russia’s economic position has weakened significantly under sanctions and war spending.
Finland’s Role and NATO Membership
Since joining NATO in 2023 after decades of non-alignment, Finland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters. Valtonen reiterated that increasing economic and military pressure is essential to forcing Russia to end its invasion.
Turning to the Middle East, Valtonen voiced “great worry” over Israel’s decision to seize control of Gaza City despite mounting international criticism. She underscored the importance of preserving the possibility of a two-state solution but said Finland had no immediate plans to recognise a Palestinian state. (Hindustan Times Inputs)
