Ankara: Finland's president on Sunday called for strengthening Ukraine's military capabilities and maintaining maximum pressure on Russia before any peace negotiations begin, outlining a detailed three-phase approach to potential peace talks.

According to Anadolu Agency, Alexander Stubb emphasized the need to re-arm Ukraine and implement stringent sanctions against Russia. He advocated for freezing Russian assets to ensure that Ukraine enters negotiations from a position of strength. Stubb made these remarks at the Munich Security Conference, just days before the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Drawing from Finland's historical experience during World War II, the Finnish leader warned against repeating past mistakes. He recounted how Finland managed to maintain independence but lost sovereignty in deciding organizational affiliations and forfeited 10% of its territory following a Soviet invasion.

Stubb categorically rejected any notion of allowing Russia to establish spheres of influence in Europe, labeling it a 'Russian fantasy of a new indivisible security order.' He asserted that Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are the core issues at stake in the ongoing conflict.

In his comprehensive analysis, Stubb outlined a potential peace process starting with a pre-negotiation phase, followed by a ceasefire, and culminating in peace negotiations. He clarified the distinction between a ceasefire and a peace process, emphasizing the need for international monitoring along a demarcation line during the ceasefire phase.

Stubb suggested that organizations like the OSCE or the UN could conduct this monitoring, though not as peacekeepers. "It's just regular international monitoring," he explained, adding that during the ceasefire, the agenda and modalities for peace negotiations should be developed, which could take considerable time.

Stubb highlighted that the actual peace negotiations would likely be prolonged and underscored two non-negotiable points: Ukraine's right to pursue EU and NATO membership. He stated, "The EU process is ongoing, Ukraine will become European, not Russian, and this is already a big loss for Putin," stressing that NATO membership should be determined by Ukrainians themselves.

Following recent phone calls between US President Donald Trump and his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, there is heightened speculation about a potential peace deal between the two neighboring countries, which have been at war since February 24, 2022.