President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb paid a working visit to Paris on Monday 23 February 2026.
During his visit, President Stubb met President of France Emmanuel Macron. At the initiative of President Macron, the visit began at the Petit Palais museum, where the Presidents viewed a retrospective exhibition of the Finnish painter Pekka Halonen (1865–1933). The exhibition has been on display in Paris for four months and highlights the artist’s exceptional relationship with nature.
In the afternoon, President Stubb and President Macron met for official talks at the Élysée Palace. The topics of the meeting were Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on the eve of the war’s fourth anniversary, strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities and security, bilateral relations between Finland and France, and the current global political situation.
“Finland and France are close friends and allies. My visit to Paris further deepened our relations,” confirmed President Stubb.
In his speech, President Stubb thanked President Macron and France for a strong leadership in addressing European security challenges.
At the end of the visit, the Presidents participated in a virtual meeting of the leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8). The meeting discussed, among other things, the progress of the peace negotiations in Ukraine and the strengthening of Arctic security.
“We must continue to support Ukraine both militarily and economically and maintain pressure on Russia,” said President Stubb.
