United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Finland on 2 June and gave a speech at Helsinki City Hall in an event organized by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) and the US Embassy in Helsinki. Secretary Blinken ruled out ceasefire in Ukraine as unacceptable and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine until there is a just and lasting peace in the country.
“A just and lasting peace must support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction,” Blinken noted.
According to Blinken, the United States, along with other NATO allies, is ready to defend every inch of the alliance and the Western front.
Director of FIIA Mika Aaltola opened the event together with Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen. Aaltola said the historic visit represents a new era in Finnish–US relations and pointed out that this was the first time that a United States Secretary of State had stood on the ground of NATO member Finland.
“Now the United States Secretary of State is in Helsinki giving a speech about helping Ukraine and clearly naming Russia as the aggressor. The world has truly changed, Aaltola noted.
A recording of the event can be viewed on the FIIA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThD_XX22bp8
