Finland rejects reported Russian demand to leave NATO as part of peace talks
Finland has rejected a reported Russian demand that it leave NATO as part of Ukraine peace talks, with Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen stating that Finland's membership in the alliance isn't up for negotiation.
Finland's Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen firmly rejected the reported Russian demand, calling it "absolutely outrageous to even suggest such a thing." Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, joined NATO in 2023 in a foreign policy U-turn prompted by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian peace proposal
According to German newspaper Bild, Russia made a proposal during talks in Abu Dhabi this week that included Moscow keeping occupied Ukrainian territories, gaining control of new land, demilitarizing Ukrainian ports, removing NATO bases from the Baltics, and Finland leaving NATO.
In exchange, Russia proposed withdrawing its nuclear weapons from Belarus and refraining from stationing intermediate-range missiles there. However, it remains unclear which proposals Russian President Vladimir Putin would support after discussions between intermediaries.
Ukrainian warning
Putin's desire to change borders in Europe is a fact. I am sure this is part of his concept of revising security guarantees in Europe. This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that a new security framework for Europe after the war, raised by the Americans, "can be dangerous." He emphasized that Russia cannot make decisions on behalf of all NATO member societies.
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