'The US must not divert weapons for Ukraine to Iran,' Finnish defence minister tells Euronews

Published on 27/03/2026 - 16:29 GMT+1

Finland’s Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen told Euronews helium expects each weapons destined for Ukraine, purchased from the US by European countries, to beryllium delivered.

Häkkänen said Helsinki would cheque to guarantee Washington honours contracts signed with European NATO countries that person brought weapons for Ukraine from US subject contractors.

The contented arises from a Washington Post study that the Pentagon is considering diverting important subject instrumentality intended for the Ukrainian defence forces to the Iran war.

“Every clip we are assessing however the wealth is being spent, and we are trusting that the mechanics is working. If determination are problems of course, past we person to reassess that,” Häkkänen told Euronews' 12 Minutes With programme successful an interrogation astatine the defence ministry successful Helsinki.

The weapons reportedly see captious aerial defence systems needed to intercept Russian missiles and drones, purchased done NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List oregon PURL system, which allows NATO countries to bargain arms for Ukraine from the US.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told journalists that indispensable instrumentality for Kyiv, including interceptors, “is continuing to travel into Ukraine.”

However, determination are concerns that arsenic the warfare grinds connected and US subject supplies deplete, a determination to divert assets to Iran volition beryllium made.

“PURL has present supplied astir 75% of each missiles for Ukraine's Patriot batteries and 90% of the ammunition utilized successful different aerial defence systems,” to Ukraine, Rutte told journalists astatine NATO HQ successful Brussels connected Thursday.

Helsinki is besides adamant it would not beryllium drawn into the US-Israeli involution successful Iran, contempt comments from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio implying that Washington's enactment successful Ukraine is astatine hazard if European allies bash not assistance the US unafraid the Strait of Hormuz.

In a thinly veiled menace to allies portion en way to the G7 gathering of overseas ministers successful Paris, Rubio said: “Ukraine is not America’s war, and yet we’ve contributed much to that combat than immoderate different state successful the world."

“So, it’ll beryllium thing to analyse that the president volition person to instrumentality into relationship down the road”, Rubio added.

But Häkkänen said redirecting information apparatus from Finland to the Gulf was thing Helsinki could not do, fixed the 1350-kilometre borderline Finland shares with Russia.

“We're a tiny state neighbouring Russia,” helium said. “All our resources are progressive into our readiness successful this area, truthful there's nary options oregon potential” to participate, helium said.

Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb besides doubled down connected his country’s absorption to US calls for help.

The Iran warfare "not a NATO matter," helium said connected Thursday evening, arsenic NATO is simply a antiaircraft alliance.

Stubb was speaking astatine a property league pursuing a gathering of the leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEC), a multilateral defence practice among Nordic-Baltic NATO countries.