The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, emphasized that the security guarantees for Ukraine being discussed by the European “coalition of the willing” must serve as a real deterrent to Russia. According to him, if European countries sign such guarantees, they must be prepared to participate in military actions in the event of a new attack by Moscow on Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The Essence of Security Guarantees and Finland’s Position
Alexander Stubb stressed that only strong and credible guarantees can effectively deter the aggression of the Russian Federation. He noted that these guarantees will come into effect after a future agreement is reached between Ukraine and Russia. At the same time, the President of Finland stated that Russia will have no veto power over the format of these guarantees.
“Russia has no right to interfere in the sovereign decisions of an independent state… Therefore, for me, it is not a question of whether Russia will agree or not. Of course, it will not agree, but that does not matter,” Stubb said.
The main question for Kyiv remains whether such agreements will be accompanied by specific commitments. In response to a question about whether the security guarantees indicate the readiness of European countries for direct involvement in the war in the event of further Russian aggression, Stubb noted that this is indeed the essence of such agreements.
Support for Ukraine and the Position of European Capitals
So far, not all European countries are showing readiness for such commitments. In most Western capitals, guarantees for Ukraine are often framed as “assurances” rather than firm promises. Western policy focuses on supporting Ukraine while avoiding direct confrontation with Russia. However, Stubb emphasized that security guarantees lose their meaning without real power to back them up.
Amid ongoing Russian aggression, Ukraine seeks either to join NATO or to receive substantial security guarantees from the U.S. and European partners. At the beginning of September, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that after the war, “thousands” of Western troops could be deployed in the country as part of the security guarantees.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who lead the “coalition of the willing,” stated that 26 countries have already agreed to join the post-war security guarantee system for Ukraine. These countries are prepared to provide military presence on land, at sea, or in the air, ensuring the deterrence of the aggressor.
Russia, for its part, continues to insist on NATO’s non-expansion, effectively demanding that Ukraine renounce its membership in the alliance, and opposes the presence of European troops on Ukrainian territory.