Finnish foreign minister: Trump's pivot to Russia unlikely to bring peace to Ukraine

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Tuesday, 4 March, that Washington’s shift toward Russia is unlikely to lead to an end to the war in Ukraine and that President Donald Trump will likely realise this over time.

As reported by Reuters, Valtonen stated that she is "a little bit concerned" about the recent US order to suspend offensive cyber operations against Russia during negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The Pentagon has denied reports of suspending cyber operations.

"This is probably part of the grand strategy that the White House has chosen to see if this course of action can lead to peace, effectively appeasing Russia and putting some pressure on Ukraine," Valtonen said in response to a question about the cyber pause at an event in London.

"In my personal view it should be exactly the other way around, and I trust that President Trump and his team will notice in due course that this probably doesn't work," she said at a public event at the Chatham House think tank.

Since taking office in January, Trump has changed US policy on Ukraine and Russia, initiating negotiations with Moscow, which culminated in a heated confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on 28 February.

US official revealed that Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine following his clash with Zelenskyy.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed reports of the US halting aid to Ukraine, citing information from the border and the US assistance hub in Jasionka.