Finnish President Alexander Stubb has defended his country’s decision to buy arms from Israel despite the war in Gaza, stressing that the decision has nothing to do with Finland’s reluctance to recognize an independent Palestinian state at this time.
Finland buys David’s Sling anti-missile system from Israel. Helsinki considers the system a high priority for its own defense due to neighboring Russia’s ongoing missile attacks on civilian and military targets in Ukraine.
Stubb, who took office in March, has defined Finland’s new foreign policy position as “value-based realist”, which he says is about “getting things done in the world as it is” rather than ” as I want to see him.”
In an interview with Reuters today, Stubb said the time was not right for Helsinki to recognize a Palestinian state, even though neighboring Nordic countries Sweden, Iceland and most recently Norway have done so.
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“In the case of Israel and Palestine, our realist values-based policy on the recognition of Palestine prevails in our thinking in the sense that we want that recognition, not if, but when, to have an impact towards a two-state solution and a peaceful solution,” he said.
Last month, Stubb told Finnish diplomats that Finland’s recognition of a Palestinian state was “a matter of time” and would be strategically timed to promote peace in the Middle East.
At the same time, he argued that this decision has “nothing to do” with the arms purchase agreement with Israel.
“This, I see only realistically, in other words, the fact that we need these weapons. That’s how I see Finnish security,” he added.
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