Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the confiscation of Russian assets and said the leadership in Moscow is “mentally stuck in another century” as officials and politicians gathered in the Finnish capital for the Helsinki+50 conference.
Moscow is still living in a time of “brutal violence disregard for human rights and equality,” Zelenskyy said.
He added: “We know that such ideas and such times must never return to Europe” via video-link at the meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords.
The Helsinki Accords, singed in 1975, were a set of agreements focused on principles of international cooperation, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in domestic affairs.
The agreements — signed between 35 countries including the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War — laid the groundwork for the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
“It’s time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them, confiscate them, and use them to serve peace, not war,” the Ukrainian leader said.
His comments come a day after a large overnight Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv killed six, including a six-year-old boy and injured at least 52 people.
Zelenskyy’s Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb called on European countries to choose between “spheres of interests and the use of force, or the sovereignty of states and common rules and principles.”
He touched on the legacy of the Helsinki agreement, telling the conference: “Even though the world has changed significantly in 50 years, the same rules still apply to basic human interaction.”
He added, “The best solutions can be found through dialogue and listening to one another.”
During his speech, Zelenskyy thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts to broker a ceasefire deal.
“President Trump is truly interested in ending the war and we have to do everything we can to make sure the United States and Europe act together for security,” the Ukrainian leader said.
On Tuesday, Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s failure to agree on a truce. He announced he would reduce a 50-day deadline he previously set for Moscow to agree to peace in Ukraine to a new limit of 10 to 12 days.
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