UWC President meets with Finnish lawmakers

HELSINKI, Nov. 26 – The President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) continued his official visit to four Nordic countries with a stop in Finland. Paul Grod met with members of the Finnish parliament to discuss support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

During the meeting with the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Ukraine, they focused on supporting the Ukrainian community in Finland, including the Finnish government’s role in helping to sustain Ukrainian educational and cultural centers.

The UWC delegation included Vassili Goutsoul, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Association in Finland (UAF), and Arseniy Svyarenko, Vice Chairman of the UAF Board, and Nataliya Teramae, UAF’s coordinator of cultural projects.

The UWC representatives emphasized the importance of integrating Ukrainians into Finnish society without assimilating them. They also discussed increasing financial aid to Ukraine, Finland’s involvement in the Danish initiative to produce weapons in Ukraine, and the use of frozen Russian assets in Finland to support Ukraine’s needs.

Earlier, Grod and representatives of the Ukrainian community in Finland met with Esa Pulkkinen, the Permanent Secretary of the Finnish Minister of Defense.

Grod also met with Jeanette Stovel, Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Finland. 

Finland marks the final stop Grod’s official visit to the Nordic countries.

In Denmark, the UWC President addressed the Foreign Policy Committee of the Danish parliament and met with Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen on Nov. 19. Grod also engaged with the Ukrainian community in Copenhagen and leaders of Ukrainian communities across the country.

He discussed Ukraine’s support with Norwegian parliamentarians on Nov. 20, including a conversation with Conservative Party representative Peter Frølich about enhancing aid to Ukraine’s Armed Forces amidst Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Additionally, a meeting was held on Nov. 22 with Swedish members of parliament that was initiated by lawmaker Helena Lindahl, which brought together political leaders to discuss continued support for Ukraine.

The purpose of the UWC President’s mission is to strengthen international support for Ukraine, address urgent issues facing Ukrainian refugees, and raise awareness of key humanitarian and historical matters.

In his high-level meetings, Grod also discussed protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the country’s NATO membership, the recognition of the Holodomor (1932-1933) as genocide against the Ukrainian people, the return of prisoners of war and deported children, the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction, and the protection of displaced Ukrainians.