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Stubb in Munich: ‘Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership non-negotiable’

Finnish president sets out three-step plan for ceasefire and new security arrangements

At the Munich Security Conference, Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that two points are immovable regarding Ukraine: its membership in the European Union and NATO. ‘The process for joining the EU is already started and Ukraine will be European, not Russian, which is a defeat for Putin,’ said Stubb. He added that new security arrangements for Kiev are equally essential.

Asked about the terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Stubb outlined a three-stage process. ‘The first phase involves pre-negotiations, in which Ukraine must strengthen militarily and sanctions against Russia must be further tightened so that Ukraine can negotiate from a position of strength. In this period, moreover, interim security agreements can begin to be negotiated,’ he explained.

The second phase, according to Stubb, will be a truce, which is often confused with peace, but which is a separate thing. During this truce, the front will be monitored and the terms of the real peace process will begin to be discussed. Stubb emphasised that the ceasefire should involve not only Ukraine and Europe, but also the United States, with the prospect that a new Russian attack could materialise Ukraine’s entry into NATO as an element of deterrence.

Finally, the third phase, that of actual peace negotiations, would include issues such as territorial compensation and the reconstruction of Ukraine.

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