Joint Statement by the Leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight and Ukraine: Firm Support for Ukraine's Sovereignty

Key Chapter Title List

1. Reaffirming Firm Support for Ukraine's Sovereignty, Independence, and Territorial Integrity
2. Putin's Lack of Interest in Peace: Russia's Pattern of Delay and Escalation of Violence
3. The Long-Term Threat Posed by Russia: European and Global Security Challenges Beyond Ukraine
4. Strengthening Military Support for Ukraine: Accelerating Delivery of Weapons, Ammunition, and Air Defense Systems
5. Supporting the PURL Initiative: Financing Priority Procurement of U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
6. Ukraine's Autonomous Decision on Its Future: Unrestricted Armed Forces and International Cooperation
7. Building a Just and Lasting Peace: Ukraine Requires Solid and Credible Security Guarantees
8. Advancing the Security Guarantee Framework: Close Cooperation with the U.S., Europe, and Partners
9. Ukraine's Integration into the EU and NATO: Russia Has No Veto Power
10. The Impact of Russia's Cooperation with North Korea, Iran, and China on Global Security
11. Call for a Stronger Collective Response: Swift Implementation and Strict Enforcement of New Sanctions
12. Deepening the Strike Against Russia's War Economy: Increasing the Cost of Aggression

Document Introduction

This document is a joint statement issued by the leaders of the eight Nordic-Baltic countries and Ukraine. It is a high-level political document with clear policy declarations and strategic direction. The statement focuses on Russia's ongoing illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, systematically outlining the signatories' fundamental assessment of the nature of the current crisis, their evaluation of the strategic threats faced, and the proposed multi-dimensional response framework. The document not only reflects the collective stance of the relevant countries on the Ukraine issue but also reveals their deep concern regarding the challenges facing the Euro-Atlantic security order and broader international norms.

The core logic of the statement is based on a specific perception of Russia's behavioral patterns. The document clearly states that the Russian leadership lacks genuine willingness for peace, with its strategy manifesting as a refusal to commit to a ceasefire while simultaneously escalating brutal and indiscriminate violence against Ukrainian civilians. This pattern is characterized as a long-term threat extending beyond Ukraine's territory, posing a fundamental challenge to European security, the transatlantic community, and even the international order. Based on this judgment, the document argues that Russia must be prevented from succeeding in Ukraine to avoid setting a precedent that encourages subsequent military aggression.

In terms of response measures, the document proposes three complementary pillars. The first is the military support pillar, emphasizing the urgent need to accelerate the delivery of weapons, ammunition, and air defense systems to Ukraine, and to unconditionally support the Ukrainian armed forces and their international cooperation. It specifically mentions the newly established "PURL Initiative," aimed at providing funding for Ukraine to acquire high-priority U.S. weapons. The second is the security guarantee and institutional anchoring pillar. The statement commits to advancing work on establishing a sustainable security guarantee framework for Ukraine in close cooperation with partners such as the U.S. and Europe, and explicitly supports Ukraine's integration process into the EU and NATO, emphasizing that Russia has no veto power over this path.

The third is the economic and diplomatic pressure pillar. The statement calls for the swift adoption and strict enforcement of a new round of sanctions, focusing on actors in third countries that assist Russia in evading sanctions. This aims to more deeply undermine Russia's war economy, sever its support networks, and thereby significantly increase the cost of its aggression. The document also examines Russia's increasingly close cooperation with North Korea and Iran, as well as its deepening relationship with China (including militarily), within the context of global security, viewing these developments as amplifying the ripple effects of the conflict.

Overall, this document is a clear-cut, action-oriented alliance policy statement. It is both a commitment of solidarity with Ukraine and a concentrated expression of deterrence and pressure strategies against Russia, while implicitly conveying expectations for the role the international community, particularly major powers, should play in responding to this conflict. The content of the document is highly condensed, omitting specific historical background reviews or detailed tactical specifics. Its value lies in clearly presenting the common strategic narrative and core policy demands of the Nordic-Baltic country group and Ukraine at this critical stage of the current war.