UK strengthens ties with Finland in vow to support Ukraine

Finland and the UK will declare Russia as the most significant and direct threat to European peace and stability in a new Strategic Partnership signed today.

The agreement, which will bolster the relationship between the 2 countries, will be endorsed by Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen at an event in London.

The UK and Finland already share a long history of defence cooperation, including through military exercises and training, with the UK instrumental in securing Finland’s NATO accession. Today’s renewed partnership will expand cooperation across a range of other areas.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said:

As long-standing partners and new NATO Allies, the UK’s relationship with Finland is going from strength to strength.

As we stand together to support Ukraine, including through providing military aid and training, we are clear that the threat of Russian aggression, following the war it started, will not be tolerated.

This Strategic Partnership, built on our shared values, will see the UK and Finland step up cooperation to bolster European security as well as seize new opportunities, from science and technology to closer energy ties.

A joint statement between the 2 foreign ministers will set out how Russia’s illegal, full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally changed the European security environment.

It will underline the importance of the bilateral partnership, working together to deny Russia any benefit from the war it started, counter Russian disinformation, malicious cyber activities, and hybrid threats, and support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation.

The text will also outline the shared ambition to scale up collaboration on science and technology, trade and investment and tackling illegal migration.