U.S. President Donald Trump should proceed with imposing additional sanctions on Russia, as they could help bring the war in Ukraine to an end, Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Friday in a Reuters NEXT Newsmaker interview.
Trump had set a deadline for Friday, demanding that Russia agree to peace in Ukraine or face secondary sanctions targeting its oil buyers. These sanctions could cut off a significant stream of funding for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort.
Despite this, a meeting between Trump and Putin could take place as early as next week, following talks between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday - raising the possibility that the sanctions might be postponed or cancelled.
However, a White House official stated that the sanctions on countries continuing trade with Russia were still on track to take effect Friday.
“I sincerely hope President Trump follows through with these sanctions,” said Valtonen, referring to measures that could particularly impact major buyers of Russian oil such as China and India.
On Wednesday, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb joined a call with Trump and several European leaders to coordinate Western strategies to end the war.
Valtonen emphasised the importance of continued Western military support for Ukraine, suggesting that the rise in arms deliveries is pressuring Moscow to seek an exit from the conflict, which began in February 2022.
“The increased flow of weapons to Ukraine is clearly putting pressure on Russia, which is why we’re now seeing signs of willingness to negotiate,” she said.
Finland, along with other Nordic and Baltic countries, has been one of Ukraine’s most committed supporters. The 2022 invasion led Finland - sharing a 1,340-km border with Russia to join NATO, ending decades of military non-alignment. Valtonen took office two months after Finland’s accession.
She also noted that Russia’s economy is under growing strain due to sanctions and its wartime spending.
“We need to continue applying pressure and hope that eventually Russia will respond by ending the invasion,” she said.
On Gaza
Valtonen also voiced deep concern over Israel’s decision to expand its military operations by taking control of Gaza City - a plan approved by its security cabinet on Friday amid increasing global condemnation of the nearly two-year-long conflict.
Speaking about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks to Fox News that Israel intends to take over the entire Gaza Strip, Valtonen stressed the importance of preserving the possibility of a two-state solution, even if it appears distant now.
France, UK, and Canada have recently indicated plans to recognise a Palestinian state, but Valtonen said Finland is not currently considering such a step.
She added that mutual recognition between Israel and Palestine, as well as normalised relations between Israel and Arab nations, would be essential to any future recognition.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun that “people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese” and that the future of cross-strait ties should be decided by “the Chinese people themselves”.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun that “people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese” and that the future of cross-strait ties should be decided by “the Chinese people themselves”.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 10 April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives have blocked an attempt led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to restrict presidential war powers over military action involving Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday an Easter ceasefire with Ukraine lasting 32-hours and said that Kyiv has agreed to abide by the measure. The ceasefire is expected to begin at 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on Saturday 11 April and last until midnight Sunday 12 April, the Kremlin said.
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