The security agreement should open the way for Ukraine to join the EU

The security agreement signed between Ukraine and Finland in early April should pave the way for Ukraine's membership in both the EU and NATO, and send a very clear signal to Putin that Ukraine is European and will never belong to Russia.

This was stated by President Alexander Stubb on Wednesday in Brussels during a speech at a forum on European defense organized under the auspices of the analytical organization "Friends of Europe".

This is how he answered the question of the Ukrinform correspondent regarding the vision of Ukraine's future role in the European defense and security system, and the importance of the bilateral security agreement between Finland and Ukraine in this context.

"Regarding the security agreement, the starting point is very simple. We want to pave the way for the movement of Ukraine both in the EU and in NATO. On the one hand, we should provide it with short-term military, financial, and institutional assistance and relevant materials. On the other hand, we have to make sure that Putin understands that Ukraine will never be Russian. Ukraine is European forever. This is the main role of Ukraine in terms of European security," Stubb emphasized.

He noted that the decision of the European Council to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country and to start negotiations with it was correct. Now people understand that Ukraine will become a member of the European Union since its expansion is no longer a purely technical procedure, it has acquired the significance of a geopolitical and strategic goal. The same applies to Ukraine's membership in NATO.

"This is the reason why we concluded this security agreement. Ukraine will be one of the key elements of European security. It is already such an element and will remain so in the future," added Alexander Stubb.

He noted that today he had a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during which he assured that the head of the Alliance can count on strong support from Finland in the process of preparing for the Washington Summit. Part of this process is an assessment of what allies are doing to support Ukraine.

"I discussed this matter with (President - ed.) Zelensky last week, and I was very clear that Ukraine's place is in full membership in NATO, and that the progress of its movement towards membership is irreversible. This is also a message for Putin and Russia," the Finnish president noted.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 11/04/2024