Security policy EU foreign ministers meet in a tense situation – Finland also joins Ukraine in arms exports

Abroad|Security policy

Brussels

Finland Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haaviston (Green) says Finland is still in the process of donating field cannon acquired by Estonia from Finland to Ukraine. According to Haavisto, the Ministry of Defense is responsible for handling the matter.

According to media reports, Germany is preventing Estonia from supplying arms to Ukraine.

These are Soviet-made field cannons, ie howitzers, which were sold from Germany to Finland in the 1990s. Finland sold them to Estonia in 2009.

The transfer to Ukraine of weapons originally manufactured in the Soviet Union and exported to East Germany would have required permission from Germany.

“Of course, each country decides on arms export issues within its own administration, and Germany makes its own decisions. We will look at the situation after that, we have not had any views on Germany’s own process, ”Haavisto said in Brussels on Monday.

Read more: WSJ: Germany prevents Estonia from transferring cannons procured from Finland to Ukraine

Haavisto will participate in a joint meeting of EU foreign ministers.

“Today is an important debate on the security situation in Eastern Europe and the recent tensions on the Ukrainian border. It is important that the EU remains united here, ”Haavisto said at the meeting.

Recent comments from Germany have also been interpreted from the perspective that in Germany, for example, the threshold for possible sanctions against Russia is high. Haavisto’s view is that the EU will be united.

Read more: German naval commander resigns after outrage – says Putin deserves respect

According to Haavisto, Russia has concentrated more troops near the Ukrainian border, and Belarus is also involved.

Haavisto had also noted that various countries had warned the staff of their embassies in Ukraine.

Finland has not done so.

“Currently, there is no such warning, but of course we are having a very intense debate within the EU countries in Kiev about the security situation and we are constantly analyzing whether there is any threat to the delegation. There are no changes at the moment. ”

For the time being, the EU does not intend to recommend to its members the withdrawal of family members of diplomats from Ukraine, said the EU Josep Borrell when coming to the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Haaviston According to Monday’s meeting, the specialty is that ministers will have the opportunity to discuss with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken which was in a round of talks in Europe last week and met with, among others, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovin. Blinken will participate in the EU Ministerial Conference via video link.

“We are working to coordinate positions and the situation with the United States.”

According to Haavisto, the positive thing about the situation is that the diplomatic track works with its meetings and discussions.

Haavisto will meet with the NATO Secretary General on Monday evening Jens Stoltenberg together with the Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linden with.

“The purpose is to exchange information and ensure that Finland and Sweden have the full picture of the situation that NATO currently has,” Haavisto said.

Linde said at the meeting that Finland and Sweden will be able to tell Stoltenberg in detail what is important to the countries.

“In all situations, we must be able to decide our own safety line.”

According to Linde, possible NATO membership will not be discussed at Monday’s meeting. He pointed out that in both countries there is now no majority behind membership, which is one of the conditions for NATO membership.

EU foreign ministers last met at an informal meeting last week in Brest, France.