Negotiations in Berlin have produced a shared position between Europe, Ukraine and the United States, according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Speaking to the press on Monday evening, Stubb said the most significant development was the American commitment to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. But at the same time, the issue of Ukraine's territorial disputes remains unresolved.
"The coming days and weeks will show whether we can find a solution to this difficult situation. At this stage, maybe there's room for cautious optimism that we're headed in the right direction," Stubb said.
He declined to speculate on whether the negotiations would yield any major breakthrough before Christmas.
Stubb emphasised that only the United States, backed by economic pressure, can bring Moscow to the negotiating table.
According to the Finnish president, everything ultimately hinges on whether Ukraine is willing to relinquish parts of its territory in exchange for assurances from Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously described these US guarantees as akin to Nato's mutual defence clause, Article 5.
Stubb, however, did not elaborate on what these guarantees might entail, saying only that they are meant to serve as a deterrent.
"Ukraine bears the primary responsibility for its own security, supported by Europe or a willing coalition, with the final guarantee provided by the United States. This should be a sufficient deterrent to prevent Russia from attacking again," he explained.
In terms of Finland's role, Stubb said the country would not make decisions on sending troops to support Ukraine without careful planning.
"As we have noted before, Finland is involved in security arrangements in one way or another, but we do not play a leading role," he said.
