Top US, Finnish diplomats discuss Ukraine war, security, economic cooperation

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday met with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in Washington to exchange views on bilateral and regional issues.

At the US State Department, Rubio and Valtonen held a closed-door meeting where they "discussed mutual defense priorities, ending the war in Ukraine, Middle East security, and expanding economic prosperity and cooperation in emerging technologies," said the department.

Rubio welcomed the opportunity to reinforce the United States’ shared commitment with Finland on both security and trade, it added in a statement.

Rubio welcomed the opportunity to reaffirm the countries’ joint commitment to their shared security and trade partnership.

Valtonen, for her part, said the US is "a key ally and partner" for Finland, which joined the NATO alliance in 2023.

"We discussed transatlantic security, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East," she said on US social media platform X, adding that she had an "excellent" meeting with Rubio.

At 1,343 kilometers (834 miles), Finland has the longest border of any NATO member state with Russia. In 1939-1940, the USSR fought and won a 105-day war against Finland.