Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen held a press conference in connection with the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting today, Wednesday.
The NATO countries strongly support Finland’s actions to guarantee the security of the eastern border, the foreign minister Elina Valtonen (collective) assured at a press conference in Brussels in connection with the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting today, Wednesday. Finland’s eastern border will be completely closed today at midnight until December 13.
– No country has said that Finland acted wrongly. This is not a normal asylum-seeking situation or an immigration issue, but a hybrid operation, Valtonen said.
– The Finnish government always takes the minimum number of actions in relation to the threat posed by Russia. The closure of the eastern border is temporary and we certainly hope that there will be no need for it after this.
Valtonen also assured that NATO’s support for Ukraine will remain unwavering. Finland is also committed to continue supporting Ukraine, he said. This also requires investment in the development of the defense industry both nationally and at the EU level.
– Defense material is needed not only for the needs of Ukraine, but for the needs of the whole of Europe in the long term.
The program today included a meeting between NATO and the Council of Ukraine, in which the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine participated Dmytro Kuleba. The purpose is to agree on reforms to promote Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Valtonen says that he thanked Ukraine for its success in, among other things, anti-corruption measures. However, NATO membership is still hindered by, among other things, the NATO charter, which prevents warring countries from joining.
– Of course, we all hope that Russia would withdraw from Ukraine even today. We have no reason to sink into pessimism regarding Ukraine’s defense success, Valtonen stated.
Watch the recording of the press conference above or in Areena.
Updated on 29 November 2023 at 13:58.