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Finland will provide no military aid to Ukraine — president

The president said new economic sanctions on Russia will be harder to avoid if militias launch a larger scale offensive in eastern Ukraine
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto EPA/MARKKU OJALA
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto
© EPA/MARKKU OJALA

HELSINKI, February 5. /TASS/. Finland will provide no military aid to Ukraine since supplying weapons will aggravate the crisis, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Thursday.

"Finland will not render any military assistance to Ukraine," STT-Lehtikuva news agency quoted him as saying, adding that the country’s foreign ministry had already discussed the issue.

Military aid would have stoked tensions as both sides of the conflict would have bolstered their military potential, the president said in the report, adding that "If militias appear to launch a larger scale offensive in eastern Ukraine, new economic sanctions on Russia will be harder to avoid."