Dear President of the Nordic Council, 

Fellow Ministers,

Distinguished Speaker and Members of Parliament,

Dear friends,

It is a great honor for me personally and for my country to address this esteemed Council. I stand before you as a foreign minister of a country at war, a friend, and a true believer in Ukrainian-Nordic cooperation.

This session’s topic is "Nordic comprehensive security". We have a lot to share here. I will focus on three things today.

First, our shared values and why the current turbulent times can only be withstood with Nordic character. Everyone needs to learn from you.

Second, the practical benefits of partnership with Ukraine for your countries, their security and prosperity.

And third, Nordic unity as a foundation of a strong Europe and an active Global North.

First, our shared values.

When President Zelenskyy spoke online to this chamber in spring twenty twenty two, he said: “Just like you eighty three years ago, Ukraine has the bravery to defend itself”. I was beside him at that moment, in the bunker one hundred meters below ground. It was one week after we liberated the Kyiv region and the north of our country. One week after we saw the horrific Russian atrocities in Bucha.

Looking back at that time I feel that the greatest courage is born out of the greatest horror and pain. And the highest hope is the result of the lowest despair.

I believe now is the right time to remember the spirit of twenty twenty two. We are in a situation where we need full support and full mobilisation of diplomatic efforts. Ukraine wants to end this war. We have doable solutions. Nordic voices are critical to speed up the peace process and bring Russia to the negotiating table. There may be different voices, but we need them to hold the same line. We rely on your strength and unity.

This war has changed everything. It showed us the true value of cooperation. Before the war, we did not know what it meant to have true allies. Now we do. And I see them now in front of me. I am here to say simply “Thank you”. To your parliaments. Your governments. Your people.

Back in spring twenty twenty two, President Zelenskyy addressed Nordic parliaments. To all of you, his message was crystal clear. He said that Russia's war was an attack on the freedom and security of all Europe, and that the Nordic states understood this from their own history.

This remains true. To be honest, I don’t need to explain anything to you. You all know who the Russians are and what threats they pose.

Here in Finland, almost every family preserves its own difficult history of war, trauma, and resistance. It’s the same in Ukraine. We keep our hard memories in our families. About the Holodomor genocide. About the Crimean Tatar deportation. About the Holocaust.

Our land has seen at least three genocides in the last century. And today, every family in Ukraine is burnt by this war. This repeats every century. We need to break this cycle — for the sake of our safe future in Europe. And I think we already did it.  We broke that cycle.

We know the heavy, unbearable price of defeat. And this is what makes us value freedom so much. This is what makes us fight for our freedom like there is no tomorrow. Ukraine holds the line. For our country and our freedom, but also for you — and for all of Europe.

We took a lot of inspiration from Finland and we learned from your resistance. From Finnish SISU. Your national character.

Your ability to withstand any pressure. And the most popular cocktails in our country in twenty fourteen and twenty twenty two were Molotov cocktails. Now we fight our own winter war. And we hold our Mannerheim line.

Freedom is in both ours and your DNA. No one will ever be able to take it away from us.

But there is also a big difference between eighty seven years ago and now. Because we are much stronger today. We have more allies. And the Kremlin is actually weaker. The more radical their statements the worse the situation is for them.

And one more difference. Finlandization is not an option for Ukraine, and Finland itself left it behind by joining NATO. We will never accept any formulas at the cost of our sovereignty or territorial integrity.

When I talk about Nordic character, I talk about the ability to build the most successful countries with the least favourable conditions. You earned your well-being the hard way. This is an inspiration in itself.

In this sense, Ukraine is a Nordic country — not by geography, but by values. And in this distinguished chamber I can say this word: values. It’s still appropriate here — unlike other places. These values form the foundation of our common European Home.

Dear Nordic friends, 

I am here to say “Thank you” from Ukraine. But also to talk about the benefits of your partnership with Ukraine. And here I come to my second point. Why you need us and what we can give you.

We are now fighting a future war. The bloodiest in Europe since the Second World War, the most intensive, and the most technologically advanced war in the history of humankind. No one else has this experience. Except for… Russia. Sadly, they also learn. This is why we need to be two steps ahead.

Today, I can confirm that you, our Nordic allies, will get priority access to our unique combat experience, knowledge, and technology. This is fair.

We move from support to partnership. This means a priority role for your businesses in the recovery of Ukraine. Priority in the FREYJA anti-ballistic program. Priority in joint defense projects. And in other areas.

The war has taught us many lessons. How to build nationwide resilience. How to decentralise the energy grid. How to prevail in cognitive warfare. How to scale up the defense industry. How to develop the most combat-ready army in Europe. We are willing to share our experience with you, our Nordic allies, to make you stronger, safer, and more resilient.

Colleagues,

My third point today, Nordic unity as a foundation of a strong Europe and an active Global North. Or Global West, as President Stubb puts it.

The greatest challenge of this century is to build dialogue between the global south, east, west, and north. But this dialogue needs to be equal. And for this, we need to set aside our differences for the sake of a greater mission.

Europe has a role to play in the peace process and it’s time to define this new role. We need the new role of Europe in peace efforts. We must act together. And we encourage coordination. Let’s focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.

There can be many voices, but the main thing is for them to hold the same line. This is equally important when talking to Russia, China, the United States, India, South Africa, or Brazil.

We need to be very realistic about what Moscow tries to achieve.

According to our intelligence, Russia’s strategic goal is to divide us on three levels.

First, it wants to divide Europe and the United States. Second, it wants to divide countries within the EU and NATO. And third, it wants to divide European states from within. Especially over the next year, when more than half of EU citizens will vote.

Friends, there is only one effective response. We need to counter the three lines of division with three lines of unity. Unity between Europe and the United States. Unity among EU and NATO member states. Unity within our democratic societies.

I strongly believe in the vertical axis of Nordic-Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, and Black Sea NATO allies. This vertical axis is formed by  countries fulfilling three criteria: freedom as the main value; realistic view of Russia; and sincere belief in a strong and united Europe.

When we start looking at the political map of Europe from this perspective, we will see many new opportunities. From the value of Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the EU to practical integration within the JEF already today. And we hope to become its full member as soon as possible. 

Enough gray zones. Enough zones of influence. Together, we must become a single force responsible for its own fate. This means our own means to close our sky and ensure connection, including satellites. So that no one can switch off our security, freedom, and future.

I am confident the day will come when we restore a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine — and security for all of Europe.

 That will be the day when we can all raise the glass and say: “Skol”! “Kippis”! Or “Будьмо”! The exact word does not matter.

We are united by thousand-year history. We are facing the same security challenges today. And we share the future of prosperity, unity, and strength. Let’s work together to achieve it.

I thank you for your attention and Слава Україні!