Ukraine must avoid the "peace" imposed on Finland in 1944, says President of Finland

Finnish President Alexander Stubb expressed this opinion when answering a question from European Pravda at a press conference in Helsinki.

The head of the Finnish state commented on rumors in the information space that Russia demands recognition of the occupied territories, noting that this would mean Ukraine losing some of the attributes of its statehood. This was, in particular, the outcome for Finland of the so-called Winter War of 1939-1940, when the Soviet Union attacked the country.

He stated that the foundation of statehood is based on three pillars - independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He mentioned that in 1944, under the Stalinist peace, Finland lost two of these pillars. Finland preserved its independence but lost sovereignty in decision-making regarding foreign policy and also lost 10% of its territory.

Stubb emphasized that this issue also has a personal dimension for him, as the USSR occupied and annexed territories where his grandparents and father were born. Under the peace treaty with the Soviet Union, signed by the Finnish authorities, Finland agreed to recognize part of its territories as part of Russia.

In response to the question about whether Ukraine should agree to find itself in such a position, he stated firmly that the answer was absolutely no. He promised to continue working to ensure that Ukraine preserves both its independence and its sovereign right to determine its path to Europe and the West, as well as its territorial integrity.

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