Ukraine and Finland Sign Bilateral Security Agreement
President of Finland Alexander Stubb, who took office as head of state after winning the elections in early March, arrived at an official visit to Ukraine on April 3. The newly elected President of the Republic of Finland announced this on Twitter.
"Thank you to Volodymyr Zelensky for the warm welcome in Kyiv. We had a good discussion about Finland's strong and continuous support for Ukraine, a broader European perspective, and the Ukrainian peace formula, which Finland sincerely supports. President Zelensky also informed me about the current situation on the front line. My main message: Finland will stand with you as long as necessary," said Alexander Stubb.
During the personal meeting of the heads of state, they signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the field of security and long-term support between Finland and Ukraine. With this document, Finland formalized its readiness to continue supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression, committed to providing long-term military and financial assistance, as well as deepening cooperation with our country in political, financial, humanitarian spheres, and in the direction of reforms. In particular, Finland will assist Ukraine in rebuilding the energy sector, assessing environmental damages, strengthening border and critical infrastructure protection, as well as providing treatment for Ukrainian military personnel. Additionally, the document includes robust provisions regarding sanctions, compensation for damages, and holding the aggressor accountable.
Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Alexander Stubb for a new, 23rd aid package to our country totalling 188 million euros. Thus, the total amount of support provided by Finland since the full-scale aggression has approached 2 billion euros.
"I am grateful for the guarantees of continued military and financial support from Finland to our state. As of now, we have received 400 million euros of military assistance for 2024. And this amount will significantly increase by the end of this year due to at least two more aid packages," noted the President of Ukraine.
Additionally, it is reported that Finland is preparing a four-year support plan for Ukraine, with a budget of 290 million euros allocated for development and reconstruction.