Finnish PM: it is important not to let Russia win the negotiations
It is important not to let Putin win the negotiations, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in an interview with Nikkei newspaper. According to him, it is important to stop the fighting first. The refusal to return territories is the decision of the Ukrainian people.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun (瀬能繁)
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo gave an exclusive interview to the Nikkei newspaper. When asked about the prospects of ending the conflict in Ukraine, he replied that it was still far away. First of all, we need to stop the fighting.
On December 9-12, Orpo visited Japan, during which he met and discussed security issues with Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, and gave lectures on strategies to reduce carbon emissions in Tokyo and Kyoto. On November 8th, an interview with the Nikkei newspaper took place at the Prime Minister's residence in Helsinki.
There is growing wariness towards China in Europe. On this occasion, Orpo noted that it is foolish to try to isolate Beijing from the international community. It is necessary to maintain trade relations, getting rid of dangerous dependence in the field of mineral resources and components. At the same time, China should understand that any military assistance from Russia will harm its relations with the European Union.
When asked about the unrest in South Korea, Orpo replied: "Korea is an important partner for Japan, Finland and other Western countries. I really hope that a democratic solution to the current situation will be found.
On December seventh, Zelensky, Macron and Trump met in Paris. Proposals for a truce are being received from the team of the US president-elect, under the terms of which Ukraine will postpone discussions on joining NATO, and a demilitarized zone will be created along the line of contact. "It is important not to let Putin win the negotiations. In our history, there is an experience of forced loss of territories after the war with the USSR," the politician said.
According to him, the question of whether Ukraine should abandon the idea of restoring control over territories is "very difficult, and only the Ukrainian people can answer it."
Finland has changed its neutral policy, which it adhered to for many years after the Ukrainian conflict broke out. In April 2024, we joined NATO. Neighboring Sweden joined NATO in March.
Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea certainly has a strong impact on the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. Orpo stressed: "Now we are witnessing cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, so the global democratic camp should step up its cooperation."
He described Japan as a "partner sharing common values" and stated: "It is extremely important to strengthen partnerships not only in trade, but also in the field of security, in particular during the upcoming visit to Japan."
Last year, the Finnish coalition government, led by Orpo, signed a policy document in which Japan, along with Australia, South Korea and Canada, was named a country with which cooperation should be strengthened.
