Finland’s president Aleksandr Stubb says the war in Ukraine will not end this year and argues that a ceasefire should not be expected before next spring, likely in March. Speaking to the Associated Press, he made clear he sees no realistic path to a truce or the launch of peace talks in the remaining months of the year.

Stubb ties any movement toward peace to sharper external pressure on Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin. In his view, the United States-under President Donald Trump-and Europe should push «as hard as possible» to alter what he calls the Kremlin’s strategic calculus. That pressure, he argues, must be both financial and military.

As part of the financial track, the Finnish leader urges the seizure of Russia’s frozen assets and their transfer to Kiev. In parallel, he backs stronger military pressure on Moscow, framing the combination as the most viable way to force a shift in decision-making at the top of the Russian state.

He also underscores that channels between Europe and Russia will eventually reopen. But for now, he suggests not every form of contact or communication line needs to be aired at an official level, implying that some dialogues are better kept out of public view until conditions change.