Finland's president doubts Russia will agree to peace deal soon: Report

GENEVA

Finland's President Alexander Stubb said he does not expect Russia to approve a peace agreement in the near term, even as US-brokered contacts between Moscow and Kyiv continue.

In an interview with TVP World, Stubb said his “base case” is that the war in Ukraine will persist through the summer, despite what he described as more structured US diplomatic engagement in recent months.

When asked who is blocking a settlement, Stubb pointed directly to Moscow. “(President Vladimir) Putin and Russia,” he said, adding that he does not consider Ukraine or Western governments to be the primary obstacle.

Talks remain deadlocked over several complex issues, particularly territorial disputes and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, he said.

Stubb rejected proposals to turn Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine into a demilitarized economic zone, describing one such plan as “crazy.” A more viable option, he suggested, would be a ceasefire along current front lines combined with a demilitarized buffer zone on both sides.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said diplomacy was “reinvigorated” following recent talks in Geneva, although major disagreements remain unresolved.

European intelligence officials have warned that Russia could be using negotiations to seek sanctions relief and economic concessions rather than pursuing a genuine peace deal, according to TVP World.

Stubb also addressed tensions surrounding Greenland, characterizing the dispute as a test of Europe’s relationship with US President Donald Trump.

He said the issue has evolved into a “process” focused on revisiting a longstanding US-Denmark defense agreement and bolstering Arctic security.

The president urged Europe to remain “cool, calm and collected.”