Finnish President Alexander Stubb considers the possibilities of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine are “abysmal.”
“Putin would not need peace,” Stubb mentioned throughout an interview with the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) aired on Sunday. Putin’s authentic objective was for Ukraine to “stop to exist,” Stubb mentioned, including that “he has not modified his objective.”
Whereas Ukraine has expressed its willingness to contemplate a ceasefire, Russia stays unwilling to interact in fast negotiations, particularly following a current US proposal.
After a gathering through videolink of 29 world leaders on Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of attempting to “delay” a ceasefire.
Stubb argued that the worldwide neighborhood should due to this fact maximize the stress on Putin. The Finnish president advocated for extra sanctions, the usage of frozen Russian belongings and “militarizing Ukraine to the enamel” to assist convey the battle to an finish.
Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, has been a NATO member for nearly two years.