Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has joined his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, in calling for more EU funding for Ukraine. The two premiers issued a joint letter on Tuesday, urging the Union to use frozen assets from the Russian Central Bank to support Ukraine.
In the letter to the European Commission, the Nordic leaders noted that Ukraine will need some 130 billion euros in financing over the next two years, and that the EU must ensure "sufficient and predictable financing".
Kristersson and Orpo proposed that a key part of this financing should be based on immobilised assets from the Russian Central Bank, which they say could be used to secure a loan to fund Kyiv over the next few years.
"Importantly, repayment of the loan would not take place until Ukraine has received reparations from Russia after the end of the war," they said, pointing out that the EU has decided to keep the assets on ice until Moscow compensates Ukraine for its damage to the country.
"Supporting Ukraine is not only our moral obligation, it is a direct investment in European security," Orpo argued in a Finnish government statement. He added that making greater use of immobilised Russian assets is "an important solution, and a just one".
The Swedish and Finnish PMs stressed the importance of long-term industrial cooperation between Ukraine and the EU, saying this will bolster both Ukraine's arms industry and Europe's defence capability.
Orpo unlikely to attend EU meeting due to illness
The letter is technically "a non-paper" — an unofficial discussion document issued ahead of EU talks on Ukraine funding that begin in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Orpo was scheduled to represent Finland during the two-day conference, but it was unclear on Tuesday whether he would be able to attend.
On Monday, he cancelled an appearance in Tampere due to a cold and fever. According to a government press release, "possible replacements for the prime minister will be handled on a case-by-case basis".
The Deputy Prime Minister is Finns Party leader Riikka Purra, who is also finance minister.
