The countries of the Nordic Baltic Eight have reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine following talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, stressing the importance of a ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked them for their support.
Source: a joint statement by the leaders of the Nordic Baltic Eight on Ukraine; Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)
Details: The Nordic Baltic Eight states (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden) issued a joint statement on Ukraine on Saturday evening.
It stated that “to achieve a just and lasting peace the next step must be together with Ukraine”, emphasising that only Ukraine can decide its own future.
“Experience has shown that Putin cannot be trusted,” the signatories said. “Achieving a just and lasting peace requires a ceasefire. And credible security guarantees for Ukraine. A peace agreement needs firm and concrete commitments by transatlantic partners to safeguard Ukraine against any future aggression.”
They stressed that “no limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with other countries” and that Russia has no veto over Ukraine’s path to the EU and NATO. They also demanded the immediate return by Russia of children abducted from occupied territories, as well as prisoners of war and civilian prisoners.
Quote from the Nordic Baltic Eight: “We will continue to arm Ukraine and enhance Europe’s defences to deter further Russian aggression. As long as Russia continues its killing we will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy.”
Details: Zelenskyy posted the statement by the Nordic Baltic Eight leaders on his X page and thanked them for their support.
Quote from Zelenskyy: “All the points mentioned are important to achieve a truly sustainable and reliable peace. We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation. If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades.”
Details: He added that coordination with partners had continued throughout Saturday and that further talks were scheduled for Sunday.
“We are preparing for Monday’s meeting with President Trump, and I am grateful for the invitation,” Zelenskyy wrote. “It is important that everyone agrees there needs to be a conversation at the level of leaders to clarify all the details and determine which steps are necessary and will work.”
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