Elina
Valtonen
Minister
for Foreign Affairs
Finland
Ukrainians have bravely kept on defending their country and independence for almost two years. Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine has permanently changed the European security order. Ukraine is fighting not only for its very existence and freedom but also for our common values: democracy, rule of law, human rights and respect for international law.
Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine was preceded by a long period of flagrant violations against Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity. Today we understand that the international community should have reacted earlier and in a more determined manner. It is now our utmost duty to remain committed to the Ukrainian cause and to support Ukraine by all possible means, including economic, humanitarian and military assistance.
Ukraine has shown strong commitment to Western integration as the country has applied for membership in both the European Union and NATO. The Orange Revolution in 2004-2005 and the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 clearly illustrated the will of the Ukrainian people: a deepened European integration and a stronger adherence to the values that we cherish in Europe and share with our partners. Thousands of Ukrainians, both civilians and soldiers have given their lives defending these values.
Finnish people were shocked when Russia started its full-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. Our history enabled us to empathize with Ukraine’s plight. 84 years ago the Soviet Union attacked Finland in the same way: an unprovoked aggression against a peaceful neighbor, legitimized with disinformation and trumped-up accusations. During the Cold War, Finland had to balance between the East and the West, constantly striving to avoid falling into the Soviet orbit. For Finland, much like for Ukraine, membership in the EU in 1995 signified an important step in European integration. In 2022, the Russian war in Ukraine provided the catalyst for the Finnish people to turn in favour of NATO membership and in April 2023 our membership was finalized. It finalized once and for all our integration to the West.
Like Finland, every nation, including Ukraine, has the right to independently determine its own security solutions and the development of its society. Ukraine and its people have chosen their path and embraced European values and norms - an open source recipe of successful societies and economies. In turn, we have welcomed the sovereign choice of Ukrainians. The European approach involves being open to new states that wish to join, supporting them in the development of their societies until they reach the expected standards. This is exactly how the EU now proceeds with Ukraine. We provide support and assistance for Ukraine to bring about the societal transformation required to embed European democratic values into the structures of society. Ukraine has acknowledged this understanding and taken its task seriously.
It took Ukraine only days to submit the official application for the EU membership after the start of the full-scale war. This illustrates the importance of the European Union for Ukraine. Fast forward to December 2023, the European heads of states made the historic decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine on the premise that Ukraine has made substantial progress on meeting the required steps of reform.
During the decades of its independence, Ukraine has been a country often characterized by a relatively weak state, but a vibrant civil society. The ongoing reforms aim to improve the quality of public administration and thus make the state stronger. In the process, the rights of the individual must be duly taken into account. The de-oligarchisation and anti-corruption measures need to be accompanied with reforms strengthening the rule of law. These changes will not only help Ukraine progress on its path towards the EU and NATO but, above all, improve the lives of Ukrainians. Reforms embody the very ideals for which Ukrainians fight. Finland stands firmly with Ukraine and supports Ukraine on its EU path and further Western integration. This means cooperation and sharing of experience towards meeting the requirements. A strong democracy and rule of law represent the very essence of European integration.