Finland's president: Russia unlikely to agree peace deal soon, war to continue through summer

2026-02-20 - 11:42

Finnish President Alexander Stubb delivered a sober assessment of Ukraine peace prospects Thursday, stating his "base case" anticipates the conflict continuing through summer despite intensified US-mediated diplomatic contacts between Moscow and Kyiv. In an interview with TVP World, Stubb pointed directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin as blocking a settlement, asserting that neither Ukraine nor Western governments constitute the primary obstacle to peace. Core Obstacles to Settlement Stubb identified several complex issues deadlocking negotiations, particularly territorial disputes and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. He dismissed proposals to transform Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine into demilitarized economic zones as "crazy," suggesting instead that a ceasefire along current front lines combined with a demilitarized buffer zone on both sides represents a more viable option. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described diplomacy as "reinvigorated" following recent Geneva talks, European intelligence officials have warned Moscow may be using negotiations to seek sanctions relief and economic concessions rather than pursuing genuine peace. Greenland Tensions and Europe's Response Stubb also addressed rising tensions surrounding Greenland, characterizing the dispute as a test of Europe's relationship with President Donald Trump. He described the issue as a "process" focused on revisiting a longstanding US-Denmark defense agreement and bolstering Arctic security, urging Europe to remain "cool, calm and collected" in its response.