Finland Times

 

File photo of President Sauli Niinistö. Photo - Lehtikuva.

President Sauli Niinistö and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy on Wednesday reviewed the present situation in Ukraine and the overall situation following the sanctions and counter sanctions imposed by the European Union and Russia against each other.

 

A committee meeting maintained that with the actions in Ukraine, Russia has violated key principles of international law and numerous international commitments, including the Helsinki Final Act. 

 

“Russia’s actions cannot be accepted,” said a press release, adding that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity had been violated. 

 

Finland, however, stressed the importance of a negotiated solution to the crisis. To achieve that, it is imperative for Russia to stop assisting the separatist groups. This is also what the European Union has urged Russia to do, the cabinet committee observed.

 

The committee pointed out that Russia has not stopped supporting the separatists and said the EU and its member states had no other option than to appeal to Russia and resort to restrictive measures targeted at Russia in order to encourage it to change its course of action.

 

The committee meeting said the restrictive measures, particularly the counter-measures taken by Russia, will have negative effects also on the EU and its member states. If the impact on an individual country, including Finland, is disproportionate, it is possible to discuss the situation at the EU level, it observed.

 

“As a member of the European Union, Finland seeks to influence the situation primarily through the EU. The unity of the European Union is very important for Finland,” said the press release.

 

Terming Finland’s bilateral relations with its neighbouring Russia multifaceted and extensive, the committee meeting said, even in the present situation, maintaining a constructive dialogue bilaterally and between the EU and Russia remains essential.

 

According to the press release, the EU has taken a gradual approach in introducing restrictive measures. They have been targeted at individuals or entities who actively promote the annexation of Crimea to Russian Federation and the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. The decisions including sector-specific measures have been based on an assessment of how to have the greatest possible impact on Russian policies, said the release.

 

The committee report also maintained that internal development of Ukraine is also important for achieving stability. Ukraine’s economy and system of governance are in need of significant reforms, it said. 

 

The release said, “Elections will strengthen the legitimacy of the political system. The international community, especially the Council of Europe and the OSCE, must continue to assist Ukraine to fulfil its international obligations like promotion of human rights, including the rights of the Russian-speaking minority.”

 

Finland is concerned about the escalation of tension between Ukraine and Russia and between Russia and the West, observed the press release, adding that the spiral of negative developments should be stopped. “All efforts to find a basis for a negotiated solution to the Ukrainian crisis are important,” it maintained.