Valtonen now talks about Putin’s threats – “Russia tries to put pressure on”

NATO’s foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Ukraine on Wednesday.

The foreign minister representing Finland at the meeting Elina Valtonen (kok) commented upon arriving at the meeting, as well as the President of Russia Vladimir Putin gossip and fresh European accusations.

Putin claimed on Tuesday that Europe is an obstacle to peace in Ukraine. He also stated that if Europe wants war, Russia is ready for it, even if it does not want war.

According to Valtonen, Putin’s speeches are all about pressure-seeking rhetoric.

“Russia is trying to exert pressure, and it should not be taken too seriously,” Valtonen said upon arriving at the NATO meeting.

In addition to supporting Ukraine, NATO foreign ministers will discuss the US peace plan on Wednesday.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. No information about the meeting has been made public yet, and Valtonen also said he was waiting for more information about the meeting.

The foreign minister said that he is confident that the peace plan will move forward, but he stressed that the plan can only move forward if it also respects Ukraine’s wishes and sovereignty.

“Even if the aggressor has to find a way out of this horrible war, which it shouldn’t have started in the first place, care must be taken that the victim’s position is not weaker when the war ends. We are now working on this as a team,” said Valtonen.

According to the foreign minister, peace must also be such that it does not threaten the transatlantic connection.

Rubio gone

Wednesday’s NATO meeting will be held in an extraordinary composition, because the foreign minister of the largest NATO country Marco Rubio does not attend the meeting. The last time this happened was in 2003.

Rubio is replaced by the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte explained that Rubio is busy and on other jobs, but keeping NATO informed.

Valtonen also wanted to dispel concerns about the United States being left aside. He said that he is happy that Rubio is involved in building peace in Ukraine. According to Valtonen, the United States will be represented at the meeting despite Rubio’s absence.

On Wednesday, Rutte did not want to comment on Putin’s war speeches or the twists and turns of the peace talks.

The Secretary General emphasized that NATO countries’ support to Ukraine will continue so that Ukraine would be in the strongest possible position when peace comes.

Most of the support given by Europe now goes through the United States through the so-called PURL project. The 18 NATO countries involved in it pay the United States for the weapons that are handed over to Ukraine.

According to NATO, the member countries have delivered weapons worth around four billion euros to Ukraine in four months. By the end of the year, the amount is expected to rise to five billion euros.

Rutte believes that in the coming days even more NATO countries will join the project.