Foreign Minister: Finland wants to be Europe's negotiator with Russia, US

Finnish calls for Europe to initiate dialogue with Russia on the Ukraine war reflect a desire to be Europe's lead negotiator and mediator, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.
At the same time, Tsahkna said there is no scope for talks with Russia, noting that even in dealings with the U.S. and Ukraine, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is engaging in blackmail.
Tsahkna told "Aktuaalne kaamera": "There have been desires to make oneself seem important, but as of now there are no conditions for that. Instead, we should impose additional sanctions, put real pressure on Putin, and support Ukraine militarily, as there is no will from Putin for real negotiations."
Finland's president, Alexander Stubb, following last month's Paris "coalition of the willing" summit, said parties at that meeting agreed at least one European leader should contact Russia.
Historically, Finland's location and history make it a logical choice for such a role.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen reiterated the wish, but also called for caution on what form contact should take.
She said: "Finland does not consider Russia an enemy; Russia is not our enemy. We oppose Russia's wrongful actions, which violate international law and hope Russia will return to respecting international law."

The next few weeks will be vital, Tsahkna added. At the end of this month, Donald Trump will reach 100 days in office in his second term as U.S. president, and the promised progress on Ukraine needs to show results by then.
As of now, however, there are no results, and Putin is simply enjoying the whole "game."
In any case, Europe will likely be unable to avoid talking to Russia in the long run.
Estonian Defense Forces retired Maj. Gen. Neeme Väli told "Aktuaalne kaamera" that if Europe takes an unwavering stance of ignoring Russia, then not being invited to talks with the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine should not be surprising.
Before engaging in dialogue, basic principles must be agreed upon between EU member states and within the coalition of the willing. This highlights a main concern within the current coalition.
On the latter, Väli said: "It is not clear what kind of peace we are going to defend with this coalition or what the outcome will be. As long as it's unclear, the coalition of the willing's goal also seems in doubt."
Minister Tsahkna offered a more positive description of the coalition, stating: "At least we all understand it won't be like UN peacekeepers with batons on their hips, unable to do anything. If we're talking about a real and functioning guarantee, it must be a military presence, primarily Europe-led. At some point, we will also need U.S. technical support — whether intelligence or something else."
Stubb recently visited Trump, played golf with him, and obtained a pledge from the POTUS to order up to 40 "large icebreakers," which the U.S. currently lacks.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Barbara Oja
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera'