Finland rejects Russian demand to quit NATO as 'absolutely outrageous'

Finland has rejected a reported Russian demand that it leave NATO as part of Ukraine peace talks, with Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen calling the suggestion "absolutely outrageous" and stating membership is not negotiable. The German newspaper Bild reported that a Russian proposal made during talks in Abu Dhabi included Finland leaving NATO, removing NATO bases from the Baltics, and Moscow keeping occupied Ukrainian territories, in exchange for withdrawing nuclear weapons from Belarus. Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, joined NATO in 2023 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Putin's desire to change European borders is dangerous and could lead to wars or escalations.