Finland, Sweden stress Europe's interests in Ukraine peace efforts amid U.S.-Russia talks

HELSINKI, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Finnish and Swedish politicians on Tuesday underscored Europe's interests in ongoing peace efforts as the United States and Russia held closed-door talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

The peace settlement for Ukraine should not result in changes to Europe's security architecture, and Europe's interests should be an important part of it, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said at a press conference here.

He emphasized that the outcome of the peace talks will not only affect the whole Europe but also Finland's own security.

Orpo reaffirmed Finland's full support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called for the largest possible support for Ukraine.

In Stockholm, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard echoed similar concerns, stressing that nothing can be negotiated without Ukraine, and it is essential that European interests are taken into account in the ongoing peace talks.

She added that the U.S.-Russia meeting cannot be considered a negotiation, as Ukraine was not involved.

Stenergard warned that the outcome of the talks between the United States and Russia would have long-term implications for European security.

Their statement came after closed-door talks between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.