Russian invasion of Ukraine

EU foreign affairs ministers will convene in Brussels on Monday 23 June. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

This week, the Finnish sanctions authorities will send a letter to companies cautioning them that they may be used as platforms or targets for circumventing trade sanctions. The purpose of this letter is to draw attention to the sanctions in force and to provide assistance in complying with them.

In its 17th sanctions package, the European Union continues to respond to Russia’s ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine, to Russia’s destabilising measures against the EU and third countries and to the deterioration of the domestic human rights situation in the country. A significant number of vessels belonging to the Russia’s shadow fleet were added to the EU sanctions list.

The Baltic Sea NATO allies and the European Union have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding to protect critical undersea infrastructure.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend an informal meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Antalya in Türkiye on 14–15 May.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the NB8 meeting bringing together Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers in Bornholm, Denmark, on 28–29 April. Ministers from Poland, France and Germany will also participate in the meeting.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Luxembourg on 14 April. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Washington DC on 10 April 2025. She will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard in Stockholm on 8 April.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels on 3–4 April.

The EU sanctions list includes members of the Belarusian Central Electoral Commission, representatives of the Belarusian judiciary and individuals or entities that are considered to have committed serious human rights violations and undermined democracy in Belarus. The EU Member States approved the additional sanctions on 27 March 2025.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 17 March. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has made decisions on humanitarian assistance, prioritising Ukraine, major refugee crises in Africa and the humanitarian situation in the Middle East. Funding is also granted for supporting school meals and promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities. The amount of humanitarian assistance now granted totals EUR 36.5 million, of which EUR 16 million is allocated to Ukraine.

Speech by Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen about Finland’s approach to European security at an event entitled "Keeping the peace on NATO’s longest border with Russia", hosted by Chatham House on 4 March 2025.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Dublin, Belfast and London from 3 to 4 March. In Dublin, the Foreign Minister will meet Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Minister for Defence Simon Harris. In Belfast, Minister Valtonen will deliver the Annual Harri Holkeri Lecture on mediation at Queen’s University. In London, she will speak about European security at an event hosted by Chatham House.

The 16th sanctions package adopted by the European Union on 24 February bans imports of primary aluminium and extends export prohibitions. The package also imposes new sanctions on shadow vessels and those who support the operations of the shadow fleet.

Pasi Rajala, State Secretary to Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, will attend meetings on Ukraine at the UN on 24 February. Rajala will travel from New York to Washington DC on 25–26 February.

Finland supports the second phase (2025–2027) of the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) with a total of EUR 4.5 million. There are nine countries channelling their support to Ukraine through the Partnership Fund.

Joint statement by the coastal states of the Baltic Sea and North Sea – Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom – following the fourth expert-level meeting in Stockholm 19–20 February 2025.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 24 February. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen has invited the Nordic ministers of Foreign Affairs to this year’s first meeting of the Nordic (N5) cooperation on 11 February. Finland is holding the Presidency of the N5 cooperation on foreign and security policy in 2025.

In a joint letter, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden call on G7 states to take additional steps to reduce the revenues earned by Russia from the sale of its energy carriers.

Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys will visit Helsinki on 11 February and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the European Union Ambassadors' Conference and visit NATO Headquarters on 5 February.

Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit London on 4 February and meet the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Latvia on 28 January. She will speak at the meeting of the heads of Latvia’s diplomatic missions and meet Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 27 January. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Vienna on 23 January. She will present the programme for Finland’s OSCE Chairpersonship to the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has representatives from the organization’s 57 participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation.

The new Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Feridun Sinirlioğlu, will visit Helsinki on 16 January at the invitation of Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, who is currently OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

In response to Russia’s continuing war of aggression and attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, the EU’s 15th sanctions package targets individuals and entities that exert military, political or economic influence in Russia. The sanctions are also intended to intervene in the operation of the shadow fleet. The EU warns businesses of the deteriorating business environment in Russia and calls on them to consider winding down businesses in Russia and not to start new businesses there. The EU will make its first listings in the new sanctions framework, the ‘hybrid sanctions regime’, established in response to Russia’s destabilising actions abroad. The listings will include individuals who have contributed to Russia’s destabilising policy in Member States or third countries.

The sanctions list includes representatives of the Belarusian judiciary, leaders of prisons and individuals or entities that are considered to have committed serious human rights violations and undermined democracy in Belarus. The EU Member States approved the additional sanctions on 16 December.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 16 December. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

On 12 December, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs published the second part of Finland’s national plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Finland will provide support including development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and material assistance. Rebuilding Ukraine will take several years and require extensive international support and participation. Finland is strongly involved in this work.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the online meeting of the Nordic foreign ministers on 10 December.

Finland will strengthen its contribution to the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU). The President of the Republic decided on 5 December that Finland will participate in NSATU with a maximum of six soldiers.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to be held in Malta on 5–6 December. Malta is currently holding the OSCE Chairpersonship. Finland will take on the Chairpersonship in 2025.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels on 3–4 December.

Finland will withdraw from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council after 2025. Finland will continue cooperation in the northern regions through other channels.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio has decided to allocate funding for cooperation between the Finnish Environment Institute and the environmental authorities of Ukraine.

Finland will second five new national experts to the International Criminal Court in The Hague as part of Finland’s contribution to civilian crisis management. The experts will take up their duties in November and January.

On his visit to Kyiv on 12 November, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio announced Finland’s pledge to support the Ukrainian education sector reform and to grant humanitarian assistance. In Kyiv, the Minister also signed a framework agreement on a mixed credit instrument between Finland and Ukraine.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen will attend the Paris Peace Forum on 11 November. She will speak at a panel dealing with the future of Ukraine.

On 8 November, the President of the Republic decided to extend Finland’s participation in the EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) in support of Ukraine. Finland will continue its participation in EUMAM until 15 November 2026 with a maximum of 60 soldiers serving in training and advisory tasks.

The destruction caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has further increased the importance of environmental security. Environmental cooperation is one of the priorities of Finland’s development cooperation in Ukraine, and it is financed from development cooperation appropriations administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The Ukraine Capacity Development Fund (UCDF) aims to support Ukraine’s policy and reform agenda. The fund supports on macroeconomic stabilisation, post-war reconstruction and Ukraine’s path to EU membership.

On October 16th 2024, the Nordic-Baltic countries’ foreign ministers visited Odesa, Ukraine. The visit took place against the backdrop of intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine resulting in further loss of lives, injuries, and widespread destruction. Finland is represented by Political State Secretary Pasi Rajala.

The EU foreign ministers will convene in Luxembourg on 14 October. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

The Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, will visit Helsinki on 8–11 October and meet Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.

The Namibian Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Peya Mushelenga, will visit Helsinki on 2–5 October and meet Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.