Finnish leader says EU will eventually restore relations with Russia
(MENAFN) Finnish President Alexander Stubb has stated that EU countries may eventually restore relations with Russia “in one form or another” after the Ukraine conflict is resolved, but any future ties would differ significantly from pre-war arrangements.
Speaking at the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in the Aland Islands, an autonomous region of Finland, Stubb emphasized that normalized relations would only be possible after a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine. He has consistently advocated for pragmatic, interest-based engagement with Russia once hostilities end.
Stubb highlighted that while Finland historically maintained neutrality and stable ties with the Soviet Union during the Cold War—and continued constructive relations after the USSR’s collapse—relations with Moscow have since deteriorated amid the 2022 escalation in Ukraine. He noted that ties remain “frozen” and that Baltic Sea nations have strengthened cooperation, pointing to Finland and Sweden’s recent NATO accession. “We cannot turn back the tide of history,” he remarked.
Earlier in April 2025, Stubb told reporters in London that Finland must “morally prepare” for future engagement with Moscow and that EU leaders had begun considering possible contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded that Russia has not been the first to damage international relations and continues to seek positive ties with neighboring countries. However, he said Finland’s NATO membership has effectively “reduced relations to zero,” and the same applies to Sweden, which joined NATO last year.
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