The ‘Agence France-Presse’ reported, referring to Stoltenberg’s book ‘Under My Supervision,’ published in Norway yesterday, Monday, stating: ‘When I first hinted at a ‘Finnish solution’ for the war in Ukraine, Zelensky rejected the idea of ceding any territory.’ However, over time, Zelensky and his advisors became more open to such an idea but believed that Ukraine’s new territorial realities and security should be guaranteed by Kyiv’s membership in the alliance.
On their part, the Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that the residents of Crimea voted for reunification with Russia democratically, in full compliance with international law and the United Nations Charter. According to the Russian President, the issue of Crimea is ‘completely closed.’
On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the Kremlin following the results of these referendums and signed agreements on the acceptance of new regions into Russia. One of Moscow’s truce conditions was the establishment of borders according to the 1940 peace treaty, under which Finland ceded about a tenth of its territory to the Soviet Union and pledged not to join alliances hostile to the Soviet Union.
According to the agreement, the border was moved on the Karelian Isthmus 120-130 kilometers from Leningrad, and the entire Karelian Isthmus with Vyborg and Vyborg Bay with the islands and western and northern shores of Lake Ladoga, and several islands in the Gulf of Finland and parts of the Rybachy and Sredny Peninsulas were ceded to the Soviet Union.
