"Securing Strait of Hormuz is not priority; defending Ukraine is Europe’s most important task," — Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated that contributing to the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is not a top priority for her country.
She made this statement on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, according to Yle, as reported by Censor.NET.
Finland has responded to Trump's call
"We are working closely with our partners and allies, but at this time, this (the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, – ed.) is not our top priority," Valtonen said.
According to her, the safety of shipping in the Baltic Sea remains of the utmost importance to Finland.
The Finnish foreign minister noted that Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer land border with Russia. According to her, Russia remains the main threat to the alliance.
"Defending Ukraine in the war against Russia is Europe's most important task and demands a great deal from all of us," the diplomat emphasized.
What led up to
- On the eve of the announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that "many countries" would send warships to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been partially blocked due to the threat of attacks from Iran.
- He expressed hope that "China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and other countries" would join in safeguarding navigation.
- The German government rejected the demands of U.S. President Donald Trump to participate in an operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- The Netherlands also currently has no plans to participate in the mission regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
