Dear Alex, Mr. President!
Distinguished guests, dear journalists, our teams!
I am confident that we are all glad to welcome today in Ukraine the President of Finland – a person who truly does so much to support us, to stop this war, and to reliably guarantee security. We are working with Alex and Finland very substantively in each of these areas, and I am grateful for all the assistance. It is important that we maintain constant coordination with Alex – I thank you for this, for your contribution, and for your time. Sometimes we literally coordinate every day, especially regarding our relations with the United States and with President Trump, as well as with other European partners. Finland provides Ukraine with tangible defense, humanitarian, and political support. Together with other European countries, Finland is also an active participant in the Coalition of the Willing and will be one of the guarantors of security for Ukraine, for the eastern flank, and for all of Europe once this war ends. Security in Europe can only be achieved through joint action – the actions of Europeans and Europe’s engagement with global actors, primarily the United States. We are working together toward this – and, in my view, very effectively. Thank you, Alex, for being part of this.
Of course, today we paid significant attention to the attack carried out by Russia against Poland yesterday. Almost two dozen drones, in my view, were part of a planned operation. There is a full analysis of the drones’ trajectories, and more details are emerging regarding the construction of the drones used by Russia. All this indicates that the drone launches into Polish territory via Ukraine and Belarus were deliberate and by no means accidental. Military exercises by Russia and Belarus on Belarusian territory have already effectively begun – we are monitoring them in Ukraine. Our forces are tracking the movement of Russian equipment and the development of military infrastructure. The intent of these actions by Russia is certainly not defensive and is clearly aimed not only at Ukraine. Everyone in Europe can see that Russia, unfortunately, still has the capacity to continue and expand its aggression. Therefore, strong steps are needed – not just from Europe – strong pressure that will genuinely limit the potential for Russian warmongering. Unfortunately, even after yesterday’s events – the drone strikes in Poland, the many hybrid attacks by Russia on European countries, and the massive attacks against Ukraine – there have not yet been truly strong, tangible measures that would compel Russia to seek peace. Such steps are important, and in our view, they are achievable.
I want to thank Alex and Finland for supporting all sanctions work in Europe, for coordinating many processes, and for ensuring alignment between Europe and the United States. We are grateful to many close friends of Ukraine, and certainly Finland and its President personally are on that list.
Sanctions against the Russian state and Russian trade are truly necessary, and much depends on the United States as well. Today we discussed in detail how to channel our joint capabilities – of Europe and America – to increase pressure on Russia. It is crucial that the measures we agreed on in meetings with the U.S. President, and in discussions not only in Washington but also after the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, are fully implemented. Today, we also discussed our work within the Coalition of the Willing. We now understand the architecture of security guarantees, as I have mentioned before. We know which sanctions and steps can actually be effective. We see Ukraine’s EU membership as part of important security guarantees, primarily economic security guarantees for Ukraine. I am grateful to Finland for supporting our EU path and for backing the opening of the relevant clusters – Ukraine is doing all the necessary work, and the 27 votes must follow. We will keep working on this. We have already achieved a lot together to strengthen weapons production. We appreciate that Finland is ready to continue supporting this effort – not only by financing Ukrainian production but also by creating joint production facilities. We have already started relevant processes with Denmark. We are building a factory there. We hope this effort will continue with all our key partners. Of course, air defense remains a steadfast priority. Not only strengthening our air defense – which is already an urgent task – but also building the Eastern European air shield, which is effectively becoming an element of EU policy. And it is crucial to implement this in a modern way, so that drone defense lines protect Europe, and all aviation capabilities, all air defense systems, and all elements of this complex system work together. Ukraine is ready to share its experience and expand production. Ukraine is offering all neighboring European countries – neighboring us and neighboring Russia – a joint program for funding, production, and development of interceptor drones. To my mind, Ukraine, due to the war and thanks to our wartime production, is a leader in this field, a completely new technological area. And this requires the fastest possible approach — bureaucratic processes must not stand in the way. We are open to this work, to this cooperation. Our European friends – and no one else in the world – simply do not have enough missiles to shoot down all types, all varieties of drone types. A missile that costs a million, whatever type it is, simply cannot be used to destroy drones that cost tens of thousands – or even one hundred thousand dollars. It is simply impossible.
And one more thing.
In Ukraine, we value Finland’s participation in initiatives such as the Shelter Coalition. This helps us not only at the state level but also at the community level. It is important to intensify the work of these coalitions and all cooperation that supports our people, communities, and every person in Ukraine. Thank you, Alexander, for the visit. And today, we also host the humanitarian Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, and it is a pleasure to welcome the First Lady of Finland. Thank you for your support. A crucial focus there is education, in the broad sense, and the safety of education in Ukraine – and, of course, in a wider context overall. I greatly appreciate Finland’s support in this. Thank you for such a visit.
Glory to Ukraine!
