During a joint press conference in Helsinki on August 14, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal expressed their support for Ukraine’s military incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Orpo emphasized Ukraine’s right to self-defense, stating that it is justified in conducting operations within Russian territory.
“Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and it’s clear they can carry out their operations in Kursk,” said Orpo. Michal echoed this sentiment, affirming, “We fully support Ukraine in its efforts to liberate its country.”
The endorsement comes in response to a significant military maneuver by Ukraine, where thousands of Ukrainian troops crossed the Russian border into the western Kursk region on August 6. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assurance that the Russian army would repel the Ukrainian forces, fierce battles have continued without successfully pushing them out of the area.