Finland’s foreign minister says Ukraine ‘is now holding the cards’ as Russia signals talks

EXCLUSIVE: Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Ukraine has gained caller leverage against Russia, arguing that Moscow’s renewed talk of negotiations comes arsenic Kyiv has strengthened itself militarily, politically and diplomatically.

Valtonen’s comments transportation peculiar weight because Finland is 1 of NATO’s newest members and now sits connected nan alliance’s longest separator pinch Russia. Finland joined NATO successful April 2023 aft Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine, ending decades of subject nonalignment and transforming nan state into a frontline authorities successful Europe’s information posture.

"Ukraine surely is now holding nan cards," Valtonen told Fox News Digital Monday successful an question and reply astatine nan United Nations office successful New York. "They person strengthened themselves immensely complete nan people of nan past three, 4 months, some militarily and politically, diplomatically. And I deliberation this opens a awesome model of opportunity for really advancing nan bid talks."

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Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen astatine nan United Nations office successful New York, June 8, 2026. (Efrat Lachter/ Fox News Digital)

Her appraisal comes arsenic Reuters reported that Ukraine’s apical subject commandant said Ukrainian forces had recaptured much than 600 quadrate kilometers, aliases astir 230 quadrate miles, of territory truthful acold successful 2026, a displacement aft years of slow Russian gains. It besides follows renewed negotiated activity, including Zelenskyy’s stated willingness to halt fighting on existent lines arsenic a way to talks and Putin’s nationalist rejection of a nonstop gathering for now.

Finland shares a astir 820-mile separator pinch Russia, making it 1 of nan alliance’s astir strategically exposed members.

Valtonen said Moscow has shown small willingness to make concessions and based on that nan work for ending nan warfare remains pinch nan Kremlin.

"So far, Russia hasn’t been consenting to make immoderate concessions, and fundamentally Russia could extremity nan warfare coming if they wanted to, because it was their warfare successful nan first place," she said. "So I’m hopeful that this could beryllium nan correct clip to relaunch those talks."

Peace efforts stay stalled complete nan aforesaid halfway disagreement that has shaped nan warfare for years: Ukraine has called for a ceasefire and negotiations without surrendering territory, while Russia has continued to request power complete occupied Ukrainian regions. Putin said successful early June location was "no point" successful gathering Zelenskyy for now and repeated Moscow’s broader warfare aims.

Asked astir U.S.-led efforts to discuss an extremity to nan war, Valtonen praised Washington’s domiciled but stressed that Ukraine unsocial must determine whether to judge immoderate concessions, including connected territory.

"I deliberation nan U.S. engagement successful this full process has been a very bully one, and it’s important that nan U.S. stays engaged, because astatine nan extremity of nan day, it’s astir freedom, it’s nan early of not only Europe, but besides of world peace," she said.

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Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte hole to depart aft a group photograph astatine nan White House successful Washington, D.C., connected Aug. 18, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Valtonen said Europe besides needs to beryllium portion of nan process because Russia’s warfare straight affects nan continent’s information architecture.

She said immoderate superior negotiations would require Russia to judge a afloat ceasefire.

"First and foremost, we would request Russia astatine nan array consenting to extremity nan war," Valtonen said. "And that would request to hap done a afloat ceasefire, because only that would unfastened nan anticipation for existent negotiations."

Valtonen besides credited President Donald Trump pinch pushing European friends to summation defense spending, saying nan unit had moved nan continent successful nan correct guidance aft years of imbalance wrong NATO.

Finland has moved aggressively to summation defense spending. Helsinki plans to raise defense spending to 3.2% of GDP by 2030, up from 2.5% successful 2025, Reuters reported successful April. 

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Senior separator defender serviceman Juho Pellinen looks astatine a obstruction marking nan bound betwixt Finland and Russia adjacent nan Pelkola separator crossing successful Imatra, Finland, connected Nov. 18, 2022. (Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio besides praised Finland and Sweden Tuesday during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, saying nan 2 newest NATO members had strengthened nan confederation by bringing "their ain defense industry" and "advanced technologies." 

He called them "a awesome partner" and "an bonzer partner."

Valtonen said Finland’s attack is shaped by its ain history pinch Moscow.

"Finland evidently has taken nan Russian threat highly earnestly because we person nan longest separator pinch them," she said. "We surely believe our position arsenic nan happiest state successful nan world, i.e. democracy, nan norm of rule and human rights, which we clasp beloved arsenic values complete thing that Russia could offer."

She besides pointed to Finland’s acquisition successful World War II, erstwhile nan Soviet Union invaded Finland, arsenic a reminder of why deterrence matters.

"The past clip nan Soviet Union, i.e. Russia, tried to invade america was during nan Second World War," Valtonen said. "Happily, we were capable to fend them off, but of people astatine nan monolithic costs to nan society."

"For us, it has been clear that if we put successful our deterrence, past that’s a awesome to Russia — do not travel here," she added.

On Iran, Valtonen said Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s March comments, reported by The Guardian, that nan conflict was not a NATO matter should not beryllium understood arsenic Europe washing its hands of nan crisis.

"I don’t deliberation our president meant that this has thing to do pinch European countries aliases NATO allies," Valtonen said. "I deliberation what he astir apt meant much is that NATO evidently is not straight progressive arsenic an organization, which is true."

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Swedish soldiers participate successful nan subject workout Aurora 23 astatine Berga naval guidelines extracurricular Stockholm connected April 28, 2023. A Swedish parliamentary committee recommended connected April 26, 2024, that Sweden summation its subject fund by astir $5 cardinal done 2030 to fortify aerial defense and grow conscription aft joining NATO. (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency)

Her comments came aft different play escalation successful nan Iran war, pinch Tehran launching missiles astatine Israel and Israel striking subject targets successful occidental and cardinal Iran overnight. The flare-up unfolded arsenic nan U.S. and its friends proceed efforts to forestall Iran from becoming a atomic authorities and support unit connected Tehran complete threats to Israel and location shipping.

The Strait of Hormuz, a captious world power choke point, has go a cardinal attraction for Western governments aft Iranian threats and restrictions connected maritime traffic. Reuters reported Monday that nan European Union sanctioned Iranian-linked individuals and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy portion complete threats to shipping successful nan strait.

"We arsenic individual personnel states successful Europe person decidedly been helping nan U.S. effort," Valtonen said. "We don’t want to spot Iran arsenic a atomic state. We cognize what benignant of a threat Iran has projected towards nan region, particularly toward Israel."

Valtonen added Finland has besides joined efforts led by France and nan United Kingdom to support nan Strait of Hormuz unfastened erstwhile conditions let for safe operations successful nan area.

"It’s truthful important that specified straits are not weaponized by immoderate state astir nan world," Valtonen said.

Asked whether European countries had refused U.S. requests to usage bases during nan Iran crisis, Valtonen said Finland has nary U.S. bases to unopen down but based on that astir European friends person supported Washington’s requests.

"Finland has been helping nan U.S. done truthful galore ways," she said. "We don’t person immoderate U.S. bases successful Finland, truthful there’s thing we tin unopen down."

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Commander of nan Finnish Army Lieutenant General Pasi Valimaki addresses Finnish conscript soldiers aft a subject workout astatine Pori Brigade successful Niinisalo, Finland, Dec. 9, 2025. (Anne Kauranen/Reuters)

"But having said this, nan immense mostly of European countries person said yes to everything that nan U.S. has asked during nan past mates of months erstwhile this warfare effort has been ongoing, independent of nan truth that, of course, we are not straight progressive arsenic countries successful nan war," she added.

Valtonen said that support demonstrated NATO allies’ willingness to thief Washington moreover erstwhile nan confederation itself is not formally involved.

"I deliberation that really shows nan engagement by NATO friends successful this and our willingness to thief erstwhile nan U.S. really needs immoderate assistance," she said.