Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has said that US President Donald Trump should give Ukraine permission to use Tomahawk missiles against Russia because the only language the Russians understand is force, writes Politico.
In an interview with Politico, Orpo warned that Russia is a constant threat to European security and called on the US president to give Ukraine the weapons it needs to defend itself and also force Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to sit at the negotiating table. Trump announced sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil on the 22nd of October. Britain has also imposed sanctions on these Russian state-owned companies.
Orpo said that Putin believes only in force, and if Europe wants to end the war, it must be as strong or even stronger.
It seems that after unsuccessful efforts to persuade Putin to come to the ceasefire talks, the US is losing patience. The Trump administration has also justified sanctions against oil refineries with Russia’s unwillingness to promote the peace process. Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Putin’s actions: “Every time I talk to Vladimir, I have a good conversation, and then it goes nowhere. It just doesn’t work.” However,
the US president added that he does not want the Ukrainians to use the American Tomahawks,
and stated that the training would take too long.
Finland is one of the European countries that has the greatest influence on Trump, and it is also the most in terms of security issues, as it shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the only time Putin is interested in what Trump has to say is when the “Tomahawk” missiles are mentioned. Orpo said: “I really hope that they can get the capabilities that they need to [counter]strike Russia and defend themselves. We know that this is a question between Zelenskyy and the United States and I really hope they can find a solution.”
On the 23rd of October, European Union countries will decide on the terms of a loan to Ukraine, which will consist mainly of frozen Russian assets. France is reportedly among the countries that believe that the funds can only be used to purchase European-made weapons. Meanwhile, Sweden and other countries want Ukraine to be able to determine its own priorities.
Orpo said Europe must have some say. The Finnish prime minister does not believe that complete discretion is the best way forward, and that it is necessary to make sure that the huge amount of money is spent responsibly.
Read also: Europe wants to dictate how frozen Russian assets are used; Kyiv disagrees