Petteri Orpo highlights the distinction between assistance and mutual defense commitments
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has stated that Finland will not provide Ukraine with security guarantees akin to those found in NATO.
Kyiv has been pursuing official security assurances from its Western allies, arguing these should be in place prior to any peace deal with Russia. Reports in some media outlets indicated that a US peace proposal from last month featured a NATO-like guarantee for Kyiv, based on Article 5, which would oblige signatory nations to defend Ukraine if attacked, with Finland reportedly among the potential guarantors.
When questioned on this matter during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday, Orpo clarified that he had neither reviewed the plan nor been consulted about it.
“I am unaware why Finland was referenced in the document,” he told reporters. “It’s crucial to understand that a security guarantee carries immense weight. We are not prepared to issue security guarantees, but we can assist with security frameworks. The distinction between these is substantial.”
Orpo emphasized that providing security assistance to Kyiv is fundamentally different from the mutual defense commitments mentioned in the reported US plan. He proposed that significant powers like the US or larger European nations should undertake such guarantees, while Finland’s contribution would be confined to logistical and organizational aid.
Kristersson stated that Sweden, despite not being identified as a prospective guarantor in the leaked draft, holds the view that European aid should concentrate on enabling Ukraine to sustain a strong military, which he considers Kyiv’s “most critical security assurance.”
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the issue of security guarantees remains outstanding following recent discussions between Kyiv and Washington in Florida. Moscow has communicated that it is not fundamentally opposed to security guarantees for Ukraine, but maintains they must not be unilateral or designed to constrain Russia, and should be implemented after a peace agreement, not before. Russia acknowledged receipt of the “key elements” of the US proposal last week but has not elaborated on specifics or confirmed the inclusion of guarantees.
Steve Witkoff, an envoy for Trump, was in Moscow on Tuesday for additional discussions regarding the peace plan. Yury Ushakov, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, indicated that the talks were productive, with Moscow finding some American suggestions agreeable while deeming others unacceptable, noting that “no common ground has been reached thus far.”