Peacekeepers From Finland May Support Ukraine in Future Security Operation

Jorma Ala-Sankila, the chairman of the Finnish Peacekeepers’ Association, does not rule out the possibility of Finland deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of a future security guarantees mission.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to European Pravda, citing Yle.

The head of the Finnish Peacekeepers' Association believes that participation in such missions will remain voluntary.

“Until now, the principle has been that all peacekeepers are volunteers. Most likely, this will continue to be the case,” he said.

At the same time, he points out that it is impossible to carry out such an operation within the framework of standard security mechanisms, since Ukraine is not a member of NATO or the EU. That is why, according to Ala-Sankila, the United States should play a key role in creating the coalition. 

“European guarantees alone may not be enough. The deterrent effect of the world's most powerful military strength on Russian aggression is much more significant,” he stressed.

Ala-Sankila notes that the Finns have extensive experience and can perform a variety of tasks.

“We have a lot of experience and skills, and we are not just talking about soldiers with machine guns. The Finns, for example, know how to work with explosives, are good at construction, can be observers, and perform staff tasks,” he explained.

The head of the Finnish Peacekeepers' Association also recalled that sending peacekeepers is a traditional practice for Finland, as for almost 70 years, Finns have participated in UN, EU, and NATO operations, as well as in various coalition missions.

Moreover, about 400 Finnish peacekeepers are participating in such operations, half of whom are serving in UN missions.

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