President Alexander Stubb said he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a gym on Tuesday morning, focusing on Russia's ongoing pressure on Ukraine.
The Finnish president was in Paris, where European leaders met with Zelensky to discuss the war and continued support for Ukraine.
Stubb said economic pressure alone will not persuade Russia to return to the negotiating table, nor will battlefield losses.
Instead, he argued that domestic public opinion in Russia will play the decisive role, influenced in part by long-range strikes and the impact of the war on ordinary citizens.
Stubb said a potential Russian mobilisation would likely shift public sentiment.
"It's a gradual change. I last discussed the issue with President Zelensky this morning at the gym," he said.
Better prospects
Overall, Stubb said Ukraine was in a difficult position just over a year ago, when a "coalition of the willing" emerged with dozens of countries joining the effort to support Kyiv.
Since then, the situation has improved considerably, both financially and militarily, according to Stubb. The EU has provided a 90-billion-euro loan, while Nato has contributed 70 billion.
He said Ukraine now holds a clear advantage over Russia in areas such as long-range strike capabilities.
Stubb also noted that Russia is once again attempting to destabilise both Ukraine and the West, including through threats involving nuclear weapons. He, however, noted that China plays a key role in preventing Russian nuclear escalation
Finland joins multinational exercises
Finland will participate in a multinational exercise organised by the "coalition of the willing", contributing staff officers to the operation.
"We appear to have around ten personnel assigned to it. This is normal military exercise activity," Stubb said.
At the end of the press briefing, Stubb sought to reassure Finns that there was no cause for alarm. He warned that Russia's propaganda and information warfare efforts would continue, urging people not to overreact to every statement or development.
"Russia's objective is to undermine European societies and erode support for Ukraine," he concluded.