Petteri Orpo
Prime Minister of Finland since June 2023 and leader of the centre-right National Coalition Party.
Petteri Orpo, Finland's prime minister since June 2023, rejected a US proposal at the European Council on 15-16 October 2026 to hand Washington the frozen Russian assets held in Europe: "It cannot be viewed positively in any way. Absolutely not."
Last refreshed: 18 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Finland flatly refuse the US plan for frozen Russian assets?
Timeline for Petteri Orpo
Rejected the proposal outright
Russia-Ukraine War 2026: EU keeps Russian assets from WashingtonBackground
Petteri Orpo heads Finland's government and its centre-right National Coalition Party. At the European Council summit that closed on 16 October 2026 he rejected a US proposal to hand Washington the roughly €200bn of Russian assets frozen in Europe.
Orpo has led the National Coalition Party since 2016 and has been prime minister since June 2023. His Coalition joins the Finns Party, the Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats. The party re-elected him leader for another two-year term in June 2026.
His refusal matched Germany's Friedrich Merz, who said the assets "shall remain frozen in Europe". The summit kept the money where it is, though it put off a decision on how to finance Ukraine.
Who is the Prime Minister of Finland?
What did Finland say about giving frozen Russian assets to the US?
Is Petteri Orpo still leader of the National Coalition Party?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.