Ukraine | Stubb met with Zelensky in Kiev, Finland and Ukraine signed security commitments

Kiev

President Alexander Stubb is currently visiting Kyiv to meet the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

The presidents signed the agreements between Finland and Ukraine on Wednesday bilateral security commitments.

It is a question of political commitments, with which Finland promises to support Ukraine in the long term, both with defense material and more widely.

Stubb was asked at a press conference in Kyiv about the meaning of the agreement. He said that he sees it as a path towards EU and NATO membership and therefore permanent and legally binding security guarantees.

Several other European countries, at least Britain, France, Germany, Holland and Denmark, have given similar commitments to Ukraine. They are largely parallel in their framework and span ten years

Finland also told about the new support package for Ukraine. The support worth 188 million euros includes, among other things, air defense and heavy weaponry.

Stubb was asked how Finland views the use of the armament it offers on the Russian side. For example, the United States has openly said that it frowns on this kind of thing.

Stubb stated that air defense is naturally used for defense. Heavy weaponry potentially opens a different path, at least for ammunition, he said.

“We are not giving this military support just so that Ukraine can defend itself. We provide this military support so that Ukraine wins the war.”

Stubby the visit to Ukraine is carried out with strict security measures. It was not announced to the public in advance.

The speaker of the parliament is traveling with Stubb Jussi Halla-aho (p.s.).

On Wednesday morning, Stubb and Halla-aho and their entourage visited Hostomel Airport outside Kyiv. At the beginning of the war, the field became the center of the battles, when Russia tried to take over Kiev.

Destroyed houses in the area and broken windows of the airplane hangar still remind of the early days of the Russian invasion more than two years ago.

Likewise, the cargo plane Antonov An-225 “Mrija”, which is still standing there and was destroyed in the attack, is dubbed the world's largest aircraft.

Stubbs and Halla-aho heard a short presentation about the events from representatives of the Ukrainian National Guard and the Antonov company that manages the airport.

The moment for the visit was suitable, among other things, because on Tuesday two years had passed since the liberation of the area.

“It is a great honor to be here. We will stand by you as long as necessary”, Stubb thanked the hosts after receiving a used and decorated artillery shell as a gift.

The projectile appeared to be engraved with Archangel Michael, who is considered the patron saint of Kiev.

Stubby the visit is timed in the third spring of the war, at a time when Russia has again accelerated its airstrikes in Ukrainian cities.

It has tried to destroy with its strikes, for example, the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.

The capital city of Kyiv has also been hit by several attacks recently.

At the same time, Ukraine has concerns about the sufficiency of ammunition and other armaments as well as soldiers.

Ukraine is putting the finishing touches legislation on new business introductionwhich is politically inconvenient.

The US Congress has not approved a new massive aid package for Ukraine, though now indications of it moving forward has been obtained.

Zelenskyi recently said for the Washington Post, that if no support is forthcoming, Ukraine must withdraw gradually.

For example, protecting cities with air defense is becoming more difficult. Zelenskyi has demanded more, above all, long-range weaponry.

To Stubb it is the second foreign visit of his presidency and the first visit to Ukraine.

President Sauli Niinistö visited Kiev in January last year. After this, also the prime ministers Sanna Marin (s.d.) Petteri Orpo (kok) have visited to meet President Zelensky.