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Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has lost the war with Ukraine, and a peace agreement based on Ukraine's interests should be concluded with him, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said, speaking at the "Support Ukraine" plenary session with the participation of European leaders in Kyiv.
“Putin lost this war. We will see Ukraine in the EU, in NATO. And we will see a united European Union and we hope that there will be a stronger, more powerful transatlantic alliance in the future. It is time to pave the way for a plan for Ukraine's victory,” he stressed. At the same time, he noted that it will be necessary to “accept peace with Putin,” which will be based on Ukraine's independence.
Stubb emphasized that Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for 11 years, since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. According to him, this war concerns not only Ukraine, but also Europe and the United States, because it is about order in the whole world.
"If we now allow Russia to do what it wants to do - to end the existence of the Ukrainian state, then not only Ukraine will lose, but also Europe and the United States," the President of Finland emphasized.
According to him, Putin cannot be trusted. “If Russia gets what it wants now, believe me, it will not stop at Ukraine. We know that Putin will continue to move forward because he has an imperial vision,” Stubb said.
He noted that everyone seemed a little confused today, because after the change of the US administration, many “conflicting statements” were heard. According to him, Europe must regain the initiative, and there must be concrete proposals on the negotiating tables.
Stubb offered his vision of the negotiation process, which could have three phases, the first of which concerns the period before the ceasefire – it is necessary to put maximum pressure on the Russian Federation, including sanctions, the use of frozen Russian assets and continued military support for Ukraine. According to him, the leadership should be with Ukraine, which should receive support from Europe and the United States. “All this must be settled before the ceasefire – whether by Easter or we don’t know when,” he noted.
According to him, the second phase is a ceasefire, where a demarcation line must be defined, various processes must be monitored. During this phase, an exchange of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children must take place.
At the same time, he added that only after this will phase 3 begin, which is still very far away from us - during it we can talk about territories, about the possibility of lifting sanctions.
Speaking about the prospects of Ukraine joining the EU and NATO, Stubb noted that Russia will not decide this issue. “It is not Russia that decides who will be a member of the EU, but Europe. Secondly, NATO. It is not Russia that decides who will be a member of NATO, but the Alliance. Thirdly, the defense of Ukraine. It is not Russia that decides what Ukraine will have on its borders and when. And fourthly, the security arrangements for Europe. It is not for the Russian Federation to decide this,” Stubb emphasized.
Ukraine – NATO: details
He emphasized that today Europe, NATO countries, and the United States could give Ukraine hope, faith in strong security guarantees, and faith that Ukraine will become a member of NATO.
US President Donald Trump supported the statement of Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth regarding the unreality of Ukraine's membership in NATO.
He noted that he is not against removing the issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO from the agenda.
