Stubb: Finland Must Accept That Russia Will Always Be Its Neighbor

Finnish President Alexander Stubb says his country must start mentally preparing to one day re-establish relations with Moscow — once the war in Ukraine ends.

Stubb Speaks in London After Meeting Trump

Speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Stubb shared his message just after returning from a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida.

“We in Finland Must Mentally Prepare…”

“We in Finland must mentally prepare for the fact that at some point, relations with Russia will begin to recover,” Stubb told reporters in London, as quoted by Ilta-Sanomat.

“Russia Is and Will Always Be Finland’s Neighbor”

“Nothing removes the fact that Russia is and will always be Finland’s neighbor,” Stubb added, highlighting the geopolitical reality despite the current conflict.

Any Future Relationship Depends on Peace

While acknowledging that future ties may eventually resume, Stubb said it would require both an end to the war and internal reflection within Finland.

Kremlin Responds to Stubb’s Statement

On Tuesday, the Kremlin reacted to Stubb’s comments, saying that President Vladimir Putin is open to “mutually beneficial and respectful” relations with Finland.

Peskov Criticizes Finland and Sweden Over NATO

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also accused Finland and Sweden of “dragging” NATO’s infrastructure into the region after joining the alliance in 2023.

“We Had No Problem With [Finland and Sweden]”

“We had no problem with [Finland and Sweden],” Peskov said, while accusing both nations of “reducing relations to zero.”

Stubb Says European Leaders Are Discussing Putin

During his London appearance, Stubb revealed that EU leaders have been discussing the timing and conditions for renewed negotiations with Russia’s president.

Stubb Declines to Reveal More

Although talks among European leaders are happening behind the scenes, Stubb said he would not share further details publicly.

Finland Still Has Its Border with Russia Closed

Finland closed all border crossings with Russia in December 2023 following a sharp rise in asylum seekers and has not yet reopened them.