Finnish President Alexander Stubb has said that Russia’s resources are being depleted and urged the use of economic pressure to compel Moscow to begin peace talks.
According to Ukrinform, he stated this during an interview with BBC Radio 4.
Stubb noted that Russia’s economy is in dire condition: the country’s reserves are depleted, economic growth is “pretty much around zero”, and inflation has raised to between 10 and 20%.
In his view, economic threats should be used to bring Moscow to the negotiating table. He proposed transferring €200 billion worth of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine as a loan, which would remain with Ukraine if Russia didn’t pay reparations after peace talks.
The Finnish leader also called for a complete halt to Russian oil and gas exports to Europe. He warned that countries continuing to purchase Russian energy could face sanctions.
Stubb emphasized that “all the strategic games of Putin have been an utter failure”. Russia has been unable to conquer Ukraine, divide Europe, or split NATO. Instead, the Alliance has gained two new members — Finland and Sweden.
He assured that the European “coalition of the willing” was ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, ensuring essential support in the air, at sea, and in intelligence. At the same time, he acknowledged that U.S. assistance remained crucial, particularly in air defense, intelligence, and operational support.
As Ukrinform reported, the Russian government had admitted that economic growth had nearly come to a halt: over six months, the economy had slowed down elevenfold.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine