Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Arrives in Finland to Meet Nordic Leaders

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Helsinki, Finland May 3, 2023. (Reuters)
Finland's President Sauli Niinisto welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Helsinki, Finland May 3, 2023. (Reuters)
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Arrives in Finland to Meet Nordic Leaders

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Helsinki, Finland May 3, 2023. (Reuters)
Finland's President Sauli Niinisto welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Helsinki, Finland May 3, 2023. (Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Finland on Wednesday for talks with Nordic leaders on support for his country's war with Russia and on its relations with Europe, governments of the region said.

Zelenskiy will hold bilateral talks with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto followed by a news conference before joining a regional summit and a second meeting with media, Niinisto's office said in a statement.

Hundreds of people gathered in central Helsinki to see Zelenskiy arrive, cheering him as he appeared in front of the presidential palace.

The wider summit will include Niinisto as well as the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.

"The theme of the summit is Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the Nordic countries' continued support for Ukraine, Ukraine's relationship with the EU and NATO, and Ukraine's initiative for a just peace," Niinisto's office said.

A spokesperson for Zelenskiy in a statement said the Ukrainian government expected the summit to result in a joint statement.

"The meeting of the leaders of Ukraine and the five countries of Northern Europe is organized for further coordination of military assistance to our state, European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine," the spokesperson wrote.

The Ukrainian president's visit to Finland, one of only a few journeys he has made abroad since Russia's invasion last year, was announced only after his arrival amid tight security in the Finnish capital.

Finland recently joined NATO, becoming its 31st member, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland shares a long border with Russia.

The Kremlin said on April 4 Finland's accession to NATO was a dangerous historic mistake that would weaken security in the wider region and force Moscow to take counter-measures.

Echoing this view, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a briefing on Wednesday: "As we observe NATO's plans for Finland, we confirm that Russia will be forced to retaliate, both militarily and otherwise, in order to curb threats to our national security."



EU's Kallas: Russia is Posing an Existential Threat to Our Security

Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA) and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas delivers a keynote speech during the EDA Annual Conference 'New Horizons in EU Defence', in Brussels, Belgium, 22 January  2025. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET
Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA) and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas delivers a keynote speech during the EDA Annual Conference 'New Horizons in EU Defence', in Brussels, Belgium, 22 January 2025. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET
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EU's Kallas: Russia is Posing an Existential Threat to Our Security

Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA) and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas delivers a keynote speech during the EDA Annual Conference 'New Horizons in EU Defence', in Brussels, Belgium, 22 January  2025. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET
Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA) and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas delivers a keynote speech during the EDA Annual Conference 'New Horizons in EU Defence', in Brussels, Belgium, 22 January 2025. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET

Russia is posing an existential threat to the European Union's security and the only way to address that is to increase spending on defense, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday, adding that the EU had for too long offered Russia alternatives.
"Russia poses an existential threat to our security today, tomorrow and for as long as we underinvest in our defense," she said during a speech at the annual conference of the European Defense Agency (EDA).
"People say I'm a 'Russia hawk'. I think I'm simply realistic about Russia," Reuters quoted Kallas as saying.
Kallas, one of EU's most vocal opponents to Russian President Vladimir Putin, also acknowledged US President Donald Trump was right in saying that EU members don't spend enough on defense.
Trump said earlier this month NATO members should spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense – a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country, including the United States, currently reaches.
"Time is not on Russia's side. But it's not necessarily on ours either. Because we are not yet doing enough. There should be no doubt in any of our minds that we must spend more to prevent war. But we also need to prepare for war," Kallas said.