Speaking to reporters in Helsinki, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said "further packages of sanctions are necessary," adding that existing measures have already hit Russia’s economy.
"I support new sanctions as well as secondary sanctions," Nawrocki declared at a joint news conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Stubb echoed the call, urging Europe to cut off Russian oil and gas purchases and to make use of frozen Russian assets, Poland's PAP news agency reported.
He noted that some countries still indirectly finance “Russia’s war machine” and said sanctions on those states could help bring an end to the conflict.
“Europe and the United States are now coordinating their sanctions policy toward Russia, and I think that’s good news,” Stubb said, as cited by the Polish state news agency.
The Finnish president also announced plans to intensify cooperation with Poland on defence and security in line with NATO goals.
“It is an honour and a privilege that President Nawrocki chose Finland as one of his first destinations after taking office," Stubb said, stressing the two nations’ shared geography on NATO’s eastern flank and along the Baltic Sea.
Both leaders agreed that Russia poses a long-term threat and that NATO must strengthen its deterrence.
"A possible peace or suspension of hostilities in Ukraine does not mean we can lose vigilance,” Stubb said.
He added that Poland and Finland are “providers, not consumers, of security” and highlighted their significant defense investments in recent years.
Nawrocki’s trip to Helsinki was among his first foreign visits since becoming president last month.
He previously held talks with President Donald Trump at the White House, met Italian leaders in Rome and Pope Leo at the Vatican, and visited Vilnius for meetings with President Gitanas Nausėda and Prime Minister-designate Inga Ruginienė.
Stubb, a centre-right pro-European politician and a strong supporter of Ukraine, took office as president of Finland in March last year.
In early April 2023, Finland formally joined NATO, becoming the Western military alliance’s 31st member in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II.
Tuesday is day 1,293 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, prezydent.pl
Click on the audio player above for a report by Marcin Matuszewski.