Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, has warned that Western leaders are growing tired of supplying Ukraine with arms and money.
The move comes shortly after Finland’s former president said that Western support for Kiev “won’t last forever”.
– It’s real. And increasingly so, Valtonen said earlier this week, commenting on Western war fatigue and saying that some Western countries now want a quick solution.
In the past, US presidential candidate Donald Trump has also said that he wants to “get the US out of the war” – which has been interpreted to mean that Washington may reduce or withdraw its support if he becomes president.
Valtonen also notes that Israel’s ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon have also led to a loss of interest in the war in Ukraine, and a diversion of resources to the Middle East.
– These two conflicts are, of course, very much linked, but for us Europeans, it would be important to realize that if we allow Russia to win in Ukraine, then essentially we end the credibility of our deterrence, Valtonen continued, appealing to his allies to continue funding the war after all.
Ukraine could be “divided”
Recently, former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö also said that Western support for Zelenskiy was coming to an end – and that it could come very soon.
– The support from the West has been massive. But right now it looks like it won’t last forever, even if there is a wish to do so. Support resources are getting thinner, he said on national television.
He noted that Russia continues to produce large amounts of weapons and advance its positions, while Ukraine has not made the progress its allies had hoped for – making the prospects for a military solution look bleak.
There has been speculation that Ukraine could be “partitioned” in a similar way to Germany after the Second World War, with Russia retaining the parts it has occupied while the rest of Ukraine’s territory is granted NATO membership. However, Niinistö doubts that either Ukraine or Russia would be willing to accept such a solution.
Another solution that has been discussed is to “freeze” the war with a long-term ceasefire, similar to the one in Korea. However, the former president argues that such a solution would tend to be very long-lasting and disadvantageous for Ukraine.