Ukraine peace can only be achieved through battlefield: Finnish Pres.
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb says that there is a complete lack of political dialogue between Finland and Russia.
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Finland's President Alexander Stubb gestures during a press conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (AP)
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Sunday that the only way to achieve peace in the Ukraine conflict is through the battlefield.
"The only way we can achieve peace is through the battlefield," he told CNN.
Simultaneously, he pointed out that Ukrainian society is tired of the more than 2-year-old conflict.
There is a complete lack of political dialogue between Finland and Russia, the president said.
Finland-Russia border 'new dividing lines' across Europe: Zakharova
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on February 7 that Finland has been opposed to discussing with Russia alleged threats to Helsinki's security from the Russian side of the border. According to Zakharova, Finland has also been steering clear from direct dialogue between border services.
In December 2023, Finland sealed its border with Russia entirely, claiming that the decision came after an increased number of undocumented migrants attempted to enter Europe through the Russian border.
"Helsinki is stubbornly refusing to discuss with us the alleged threats to Finnish security emanating from the Russian side of the border… The key to overcoming the current unhealthy situation on the border is direct and constructive dialogue between the border services of the two countries, which the Finnish authorities are avoiding," Zakharova said.
Zakharova then stressed that Finland's position is politicized, explaining that the result is "nothing more than the erection of new dividing lines on the European continent."
"The responsibility for the decisions to keep the Russian-Finnish border closed in violation of the international commitments undertaken by Finland, including within the framework of the OSCE [the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe], to facilitate mutual travel and contacts between citizens, lies entirely with the Finnish authorities," the spokesperson said.
