Finland

The European Parliament adopted a directive criminalizing the violation and circumvention of EU sanctions, establishing uniform definitions and minimum penalties for such offenses.

Sweden, as a new member of NATO, has no plans to deploy the alliance's nuclear weapons on its territory in peacetime, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have said.

Russian President Putin's invasion of Ukraine has led to Finland and Sweden joining NATO and brought Ukraine closer to membership than ever before, despite Putin's goal of hindering Ukraine's progress toward NATO and the EU, the NATO Secretary General said.

Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit with National Security Advisor to the Republic of South Africa Sidney Mufamadi, emphasizing the importance of the African continent's participation.

Finnish Minister of the Environment and Climate Kai Mukkanen will visit Kyiv on March 8 to discuss the huge environmental damage caused by Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine and the energy situation.

President Biden emphasized his strong support for Ukraine, calling for unity against the russian invasion and the provision of weapons to help Ukraine defend itself.

NATO has launched a large-scale exercise, Nordic Response 2024, in northern Norway with the participation of troops from 13 countries. They are practicing repelling an attack on the Alliance's territory.

A French businessman in Finland has been convicted of violating EU sanctions against Russia, the first such verdict in the country.

russia has the resources from high oil prices, sanctions evasion and state investment to sustain the war in Ukraine at the current intensity for at least two more years, according to a report by Lithuanian intelligence services.

Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak met with former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin to discuss Ukraine's security, Euro-Atlantic integration, the situation at the front, Russian attacks, the importance of further support from partners, Ukraine's invitation to NATO, preparations for the Global Peace Summit, nuclear security and Ukraine's integration into the EU.

Ukraine is asking 10 EU member states for permission to extradite war criminals and people accused of large-scale corruption.

NATO launches a large-scale military exercise called Nordic Response 24 near the Russian border, involving more than 20,000 troops from 14 countries led by Norway.

Finland will participate for the first time in NATO's Nordic Response 2024 as a full member of the Alliance.

Starting March 11, cars with Russian license plates will be confiscated in Lithuania. The exception will be their transit to and from the Kaliningrad region. Such cars can stay in the country for no more than 24 hours with the mandatory presence of the owner

Finland's new president said that having a real nuclear deterrent is important for the country's security as a NATO member.

The Finnish Foreign Minister suggested using the funds from frozen russian assets to purchase additional weapons and materials for the Ukrainian defense forces.

The European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling on EU countries to provide Ukraine with weapons until it achieves victory over Russia.

NATO and partner nations will conduct military exercises Nordic Response 2024 in Norway, Finland and Sweden from 3 to 14 March, focusing on the collective defense of the Nordic region.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer warned against an "escalation spiral" in Russia's war against Ukraine and pointed out that new solutions are needed to bring it to a peaceful conclusion, including with the involvement of BRICS countries such as China and India.

Finnish officials explained that although Finland did not impose restrictions on Ukraine's use of the weapons provided, the range of Finnish weapons is shorter than that of long-range missiles supplied by other countries.

Sweden's accession to NATO may be delayed until next week because Hungary's newly elected president has not yet taken office to sign the ratification.

Finland has handed over 22 aid packages to Ukraine and will continue to provide military assistance, including ammunition and air defense equipment.

The White House urged Hungary to quickly finalize the ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO after the Hungarian parliament ratified Sweden's application, removing the last major obstacle to membership.

According to British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, international partners have not done enough to respond to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, despite being united in their rhetoric, as Ukraine still lacks sufficient weapons and funding.

Ukraine is working on a security cooperation agreement with Japan and will discuss the content of the agreement with the United States after Congress approves further assistance to Ukraine.

Lithuania has banned the disembarkation and embarkation of passengers at border crossings with the Kaliningrad region by transit trains.

Finland plans to permanently close two temporary checkpoints on the border with Russia, which were mainly used for timber shipments but have been inactive for years due to EU sanctions and a halt in timber imports.

Switzerland is stepping up its efforts to enforce sanctions against Russia by investigating possible workarounds through Swiss banks and companies.

Since the start of the invasion, Finnish customs officials have launched more than 740 investigations into potential sanctions violations on Finland's border with Russia.

The Hungarian parliament may vote on February 26 to ratify Sweden's application for NATO membership, as the ruling Fidesz party has promised to support the proposal.