German Chancellor proposes 'Finlandization' of Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and proposed the idea of "Finlandizing" Ukraine.
According to RIA Novosti, Western media quoted German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit as saying that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US presidential candidate-elect Donald Trump had a phone conversation on November 10 and agreed to cooperate to "restore peace" to Europe.
Reuters quoted a press secretary as saying: "German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump on the evening of November 10."
According to the Hebestreit spokesperson, politicians have agreed to “work together to restore peace to Europe.”
Also related to European security, earlier that day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and proposed the idea of "Finlandizing" Ukraine.
Responsible Statecraft stated that many believe "Finlandization" would imply Ukraine's refusal to join NATO, similar to Finland's neutrality during the Cold War.
Responsible Statecraft argues that discussions about such ideas, particularly in Europe and Germany, signal a serious shift in Western societal attitudes toward the Ukraine conflict.
“The fact that the ‘Finlandization’ option is being discussed in principle shows that the discussion in Europe has shifted from the mantra ‘whatever it takes for Ukraine to win’ to a more sober assessment of the actual developments. Chancellor Scholz has expressed opinions that until recently were considered taboo – particularly regarding direct talks with Russia at the next peace summit on Ukraine,” the Responsible Statecraft publication stated.
However, even in Germany, a deep political crisis is unfolding, where the country's major parties are divided on their positions regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Therefore, Responsible Statecraft argues that even if the "Finnishization" of Ukraine becomes the official policy of the new German government, the golden opportunity to prevent escalating tensions may have already been missed.