Finland’s Foreign Minister made no such statement and did not call for the war in Ukraine to “continue.” On the contrary, Elina Valtonen stressed that allies should maintain pressure on Russia and must not abandon the fight to defend Ukraine’s freedom.
Pro-Russian media have circulated another disinformation claim designed to reinforce the Kremlin narrative that NATO countries are at war with Russia. By distorting a quote from Finland’s Foreign Minister, propagandists claimed that Elina Valtonen had urged EU states to “stop seeking to end the war in Ukraine” — effectively confirming, in their telling, EU involvement in the war against Russia. Russian outlets summarized her position as proof that “the EU is betting on war.”
The disinformation is built on a passage taken out of context from an interview Finland’s Foreign Minister gave to the German outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on June 28, 2026. Valtonen was reflecting on the need for European allies to focus on defense and deterrence of Russia, emphasizing that now is not the time to “start thinking again about trade relations or political ties” with the aggressor — a phrase that became the trigger for Russian propaganda.
Valtonen stressed that Russia’s actions demonstrate the Kremlin has no intention of halting the war, instead pursuing further escalation aimed at the complete destruction of Ukraine and the expansion of aggression against EU member states. For this reason, she argued, allies must not abandon the fight to defend Ukraine’s freedom.
“I think it is good to prepare for negotiations at the official level. But the time for negotiations between politicians has not yet come,” Valtonen said. “It is also good that groups in Europe are coming together to discuss how to move forward in negotiations on the war in Ukraine. The impression should not arise that we in Europe are desperately seeking negotiations to achieve peace regardless of the conditions. We are not neutral mediators. We support Ukraine and want to protect the freedom of our continent. For this, Europe must be represented as strongly as possible.“
Valtonen argued that European allies must establish a mandate within the EU framework, since Europe should participate in negotiations toward a lasting peace in Ukraine as a party with its own security interests — not as a neutral broker. She also stated that for successful peace negotiations to begin, Russia must fully cease hostilities against Ukraine.
Finland thus fully supports Ukraine’s initiative for an unconditional ceasefire and a transition to diplomacy. For analysis of a similar narrative, see StopFake’s report Manipulation: Lula Said Ukraine’s Western Backers Are ‘Tired’ and Want to End the War.
