Russia's Disastrous Winter War on Finland Could Give Clues on Ukraine Endgame

Finland fought valiantly for its sovereignty but Stalin still achieved territorial objectives. This experience has informed Helsinki's warnings against Kyiv agreeing to any demands that it shelve its NATO aspirations. Finland's foreign minister Elina Valtonen said forcing neutrality onto Ukraine will not bring about a peaceful solution and Russia could not be trusted to adhere to any agreement it signs. "Let's face it, Ukraine was neutral before they were attacked by Russia," Valtonen told Reuters in November. "Finlandization is a model that belongs to the bin," said Sari Arho Havrén, visiting scholar at the University of Helsinki and associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).