“We must be prepared for the fact that peace for Ukraine will not be just or complete,” said the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb. He added that the most important task for Ukraine’s allies is ensuring that it preserves its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
“We often say that we want a just peace, but if we are honest, peace is rarely like that. It is rather a compromise,” Stubb emphasized.
Alexander Stubb was speaking on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the conflict-resolution organization CMI (Crisis Management Initiative), now the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation (CMI), founded by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari (1937-2023).
Stubb stressed that we must be ready for the possibility that a peace plan negotiated between the US and Russia cannot be considered a “success,” adding: “The most important task for Ukraine’s allies is ensuring that it preserves its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” the president of Finland declared.
Reminder of Finlandization
He added that the war in Ukraine “from the very beginning stirred emotions among Finns because of our history and experiences with the Russians.” Stubb recalled that as a result of World War II and the Soviet attack, Finland – unlike, for example, the Baltic states – did not lose its independence, but did lose the ability to decide its own affairs in international matters, as well as 10 percent of its eastern territory. Dependence on the USSR, known as “Finlandization,” was associated with limitations that Moscow imposed primarily on foreign and military policy, including matters of membership in alliances and international organizations. Finland decided to join NATO in the spring of 2022 in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.