Reference News Network, September 21 report - According to the UK's The Guardian website on September 20, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that if Moscow takes military action against Ukraine again in the future, the security guarantees for Ukraine being discussed by the "voluntary alliance" would force European countries that have signed up to fight Russia.

The report said that before heading to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Stubb told The Guardian in Helsinki: "Security guarantees are essentially a deterrent. This deterrent must be credible, and to be credible, it must be strong."

Stubb said these guarantees will only take effect after Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement in the future. However, he insisted that Russia does not have a veto over the form of these guarantees.

After an online meeting of the "voluntary alliance" held in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that 26 countries had pledged to join Ukraine's "protection forces," with some countries pledging to provide "land, sea or air presence."

However, a major question many people in Kyiv have is whether these arrangements will come with specific commitments. When asked whether these guarantees meant that European countries would be ready to fight Russia if Russia took military action against Ukraine in the future, Stubb said, "That is the definition of security guarantees."

However, it remains unclear whether most European governments have the political will to make such commitments. So far, the policy of most Western countries has been to support Ukraine while keeping the risk of direct conflict with Russia to a minimum. However, Stubb said that without real military backing, any guarantees would be meaningless.

The report said that in recent months, Stubb has become a key figure in peace negotiations, maintaining close relations with US President Donald Trump, including playing golf. This personal relationship means that Finland, with a population of only 5.6 million, can play a significant role in communication between Trump and European leaders. Stubb said he and Trump remain in regular contact "by phone and other means," and he expects them to hold a bilateral meeting this week. (Translated by Li Sha)

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