Finnish president says '3 steps forward’ as Ukraine peace talks progress in Washington

ISTANBUL

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said Monday that progress had been made in talks in Washington on Ukraine, describing the outcome as “three steps forward” toward peace as discussions focused on security guarantees and a possible meeting with Russia.

Stubb joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and several European leaders for a full day of negotiations.

He described the process as “complicated and difficult,” but expressed cautious optimism, Finnish news broadcaster YLE news reported.

“Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don’t. Now we are moving towards some kind of peace path,” he told reporters after the talks.

According to Stubb, the first concrete step was the start of technical work on Ukraine’s security guarantees. He expressed hope that within a week there could be clarity on Washington’s role.

“This would be the first time the United States would commit to Ukraine’s security guarantees,” he said.

The second step came when Trump placed a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the meeting, which Stubb said had been mutually agreed upon. Trump suggested a one-on-one meeting between Zelensky and Putin, followed by trilateral talks involving the US.

“Of course, we supported this,” Stubb said.

The third step, Stubb noted, was the agreement to continue working toward broader peace arrangements, despite uncertainties.

He cautioned, however, that “Putin is rarely worth trusting” and that it remained to be seen whether Moscow would engage seriously or “play for time.”

Asked about suggestions that Ukraine might need to cede territory, Stubb rejected the idea.

“We must ensure that Ukraine’s sovereignty is preserved and that the integrity of its territories is preserved in the long term,” he said.