Finland has ruled out formal security guarantees for Ukraine but says it will help strengthen the country’s broader security framework.
The shift marks a step back from Helsinki’s earlier stance, despite Finnish President Alexander Stubb being one of the few European leaders directly involved in White House peace talks on Ukraine.
The move comes as Europe and the US continue discussions on long-term support frameworks for Kyiv, while Russia maintains its opposition to the deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine.
Security guarantees, arrangements “very different” concepts
According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Tuesday that Finland is not ready to offer Ukraine security guarantees and is instead preparing to take part in security arrangements.
Journalists asked whether Finland had received details on guarantees proposed by the US and whether they could resemble NATO’s Article 5, to which Orpo said that Helsinki has not seen any concrete proposal and stressed the difference between guarantees and looser arrangements.
“We have not had any discussions on this issue. I don’t know why Finland was mentioned in the paper. We have to understand that a security guarantee is something very, very serious,” Orpo said alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
“We’re not ready to give security guarantees, but we can help with security arrangements. The difference between them is huge,” he added.
An earlier Yle report, citing Finnish President Alexander Stubb, wrote that Finland was included in the special annex attached to the 28-point draft.
Orpo added that security guarantees would ultimately be decided by major European countries and the US. Sweden’s Kristersson said European states were preparing to support Ukraine’s security through training and equipment and cautioned that recent debate around guarantees could be misleading, arguing that the strongest safeguard is a strong Ukrainian army and that “we can help it remain strong.”
Stubb warns conditions for “just peace” unlikely to be met
Finnish President Stubb delivered a separate message, saying in an interview with MTV Uutiset published on Wednesday that the conditions for a “just peace” in Ukraine are unlikely to be fulfilled.
“The reality is that peace can be good, bad, or some kind of compromise. The reality is also that we Finns must prepare for the moment when peace comes, and that all the conditions for a just peace that we’ve talked so much about over the past four years are unlikely to be fulfilled,” Stubb said.
He added that “we are closer to peace today than yesterday,” but that upcoming days and weeks would show whether negotiations produce results.
Stubb’s remarks followed an almost five-hour discussion between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday night, which resulted in “no compromises,” according to the Kremlin.
Putin, prior to the talks, instead had blamed Europe for hindering peace talks, saying: “We’re not planning to wage a war with Europe, but if Europe decides to start a war, we’re ready right now.”
A 28-point proposal drafted by Witkoff and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev was criticized by European and Ukrainian officials as favoring Moscow, though an updated version has since removed some elements.
Finnish foreign minister: Peace cannot mean a weak Ukraine
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Wednesday at a NATO ministerial meeting that Europe would soon be briefed on the peace discussions, but “apparently they have not been able to reach massive consensus last night in Moscow.”
“Russia is not willing to make any compromise,” she said, adding that any settlement must stop the killing and ensure Ukraine is strong enough to resist future invasion and political interference.
It remains uncertain what form long-term security commitments for Ukraine could take if diplomacy progresses, or whether they would be sufficient to deter another Russian attack. Western governments continue to emphasize strengthening Ukraine’s own military capabilities, while avoiding promises that would involve deploying their own forces.