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Finbarr Bermingham

Europe’s territorial integrity is a “red line” in Finland’s relations with the United States and other powers, according to Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.
“I can only say that certainly territorial integrity is the red line.
“We defend the UN Charter, the territorial integrity of nations and sovereignty, and if need be, then we have to react through the means which we have at hand,” she told the South China Morning Post when asked about Greenland.
Donald Trump seriously damaged relations with Europe earlier this year with his repeated claims that the United States should take control of the Danish overseas territory.
The US president only ruled out the use of force after it became clear that the European Union was readying punitive trade measures.
Senior EU sources said that the bloc’s anti-coercion instrument – often referred to as its “trade bazooka” – would have been triggered had Trump not backed down. Tariffs had also been drawn up and readied for use.
Valtonen insisted she was a strong supporter of the US-European relationship and refused to be drawn on specific measures, but said the EU had taken the right approach on Greenland.
The bloc had previously tolerated the US president’s tariffs, threats to leave Nato and demands to change its digital laws, but in many European capitals, the threats against Greenland were seen as the moment Trump pushed them too far.
Since then, he has threatened to quit Nato over the lack of support for the war on Iran.
On Friday, Reuters reported that an internal Pentagon email had discussed kicking Spain out of the alliance and withdrawing support for British rule over the Falkland Islands because of their failure to back the US-Israeli military effort.
Valtonen, a member of the ruling centre-right National Coalition, defended the EU’s approach to dealing with Trump, saying that the bloc’s predictability and stability had proven to be attractive to other partners.

“I don’t think the role of Europe should be jumping around when somebody decides to change course or, say, use military force somewhere. For instance, if we rely on the UN Charter on diplomacy, negotiations – and also, yes, bureaucracy – then I don’t think it’s [a] bad choice,” she said.
She also insisted that criticism of Europe as “slow and boring” missed the point.
“First of all, who has said that these are only negative adjectives? Second, if you ask any person around the world … if he or she had the choice to live in Europe or somewhere else. Quite often, Europe wins still,” said Valtonen.
“Geopolitical power is not shaped through, say, invading neighbouring countries or attempting different changes this week and other changes next week … I think the stability that we have been showing also in the past 12 months, when things have been quite turbulent around the world ... That is something that all of a sudden, quite many partners around the world also appreciate,” she said.
EU member states have been divided over how to respond to the war in Gaza, as well as the conflict in Iran. The bloc has been criticised for being a “bystander” on international events, but Valtonen hit back when questioned about Europe’s influence.
She said: “Tell me one country who has concretely shaped the world in the past six months.


“I think we have been actually in a very good place in the past six months, relying on the core values and the assets that we have,” Valtonen added, pointing to a raft of free-trade deals the EU has launched or signed, and insisting that “Nato is stronger than it’s ever been, despite the headlines”.
Only after repeatedly being asked for an example did she cite Ukraine.
“We have been supporting Ukraine. We have been sanctioning Russia, who is clearly violating the UN Charter … with its illegal war of aggression and yeah, we haven’t been mediating, or we haven’t been able to stop the war, but at least we have been doing the right things, i.e. helping the victim and trying to put the aggressor in a place where it can’t economically continue its war effort any more,” Valtonen said.


Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

Spain signs deals with Brazil as Sanchez builds anti-Trump bloc

US-EU relations

Greenlanders protest against Donald Trump’s threats. Photo: AFP

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said some criticisms of the EU missed the point. Photo: Getty Images

China’s Russia ties mean EU trade deal is off the table, Finland says

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Beijing’s support of Russia has violated principles of the UN Charter and “is something that we cannot accept”. Photo: dpa

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (left) speaks with the South China Morning Post in Helsinki, Finland, on Wednesday. Photo: Handout 

 Illustration: Brian Wang

Joe Biden told Europe in 2021 that “America is back at the table”. Photo: AFP via Getty Images via TNS

French President Emmanuel Macron meets Donald Trump at the White House in 2025. Photo: AFP

News

China

Diplomacy

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’


Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’