Mika Aaltola
Member of the European Parliament · PPE · FI
“Siksi Ukrainalle on luotava uusi jäsenyyden muoto nyt: täysi pääsy puolustukseen, talouteen ja politiikan yhteistyöhön. Samalla se avaa askeleen eurooppalaisille muille maille puolustusunioniin, jossa myös Britannia ja Norja toimivat rinnallamme, ja ehkä jonain päivänä demokraattinen Turkki. 2-0378-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner, the world's largest humanitarian crisis continues, and the world is looking away. In Sudan, 150 000 have died. Fifteen million displaced. Half of the population faces hunger. To look away is not only a moral failure, but also a strategic risk. Instability does not stay contained – it spreads.”
“Madam President, Commissioner, the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked for over a month, and the consequences are already being felt in our energy markets. Yet the headlines too often overlook the longer‑term consequences that are beginning to unfold.”
“Ainoa tapa neuvotella Venäjän kanssa on teoilla, näyttämällä, että Eurooppa pitää puolensa, rakentamalla yhteyksiä ja infrastruktuuria ilman Venäjää ja tukemalla demokratiaa ja kumppaneita. Vahvempi naapurusto tarkoittaa heikompaa Venäjää. Armenia on valinnut, Euroopan on vastattava. 2-0522-0000”
“Mr President, the Arctic is no longer a frozen periphery; it is the next great arena for geopolitical competition and Europe is just waking up. Russia has militarised its Arctic coastline. China calls itself a 'near-Arctic state' and invests in it. And the United States, our ally, is openly coercing Canada, Denmark and Greenland.”
“Madam President, dear Vice-President Kaja Kallas, on this sad day, we have to look forward and focus on new partnerships. Enhancing ties with India is a strategic necessity. Let's stop pretending. The age of soft globalisation is dead – buried by Russian brutal aggression and Chinese and US unilateralism.”
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“Siksi Ukrainalle on luotava uusi jäsenyyden muoto nyt: täysi pääsy puolustukseen, talouteen ja politiikan yhteistyöhön. Samalla se avaa askeleen eurooppalaisille muille maille puolustusunioniin, jossa myös Britannia ja Norja toimivat rinnallamme, ja ehkä jonain päivänä demokraattinen Turkki. 2-0378-0000”
“Putinin julmuus ja Trumpin itsekeskeisyys pakottavat Eurooppaa kasvamaan. EU:n institutionaalinen vastaus globaaleihin haasteisiin on meidän kypsyyskokeemme, eikä tätä koetta voi enää lykätä. 2-0152-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner, the world's largest humanitarian crisis continues, and the world is looking away. In Sudan, 150 000 have died. Fifteen million displaced. Half of the population faces hunger. To look away is not only a moral failure, but also a strategic risk. Instability does not stay contained – it spreads. And we should name who benefits. Among them is Russia. Through Wagner and now Africa Corps, it fuels conflict, arms the Rapid Support Forces and smuggles Sudanese gold to finance its war against Ukraine. A Red Sea naval base remains the prize. Sudan's collapse is not only an accident on the periphery: instability is Moscow's business model. Sudan must remain on our radar. Letting the world's largest emergency become its most forgotten one is a choice, and one that is not without consequences. 3-0526-0000”
“We must act responsibly, protect our next generation and ensure that our policies are driven by strategy, not by impulse of unreliable leaders from abroad. 3-0106-0000 Interventions à la demande 3-0107-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked for over a month, and the consequences are already being felt in our energy markets. Yet the headlines too often overlook the longer‑term consequences that are beginning to unfold. If this crisis continues into May, we are likely to face significant fertiliser shortages next year. That means higher food prices for ordinary families across Europe. Geopolitical crises are never isolated events. The decisions we make today, and those we delay, will shape living standards for years to come. The EU's response must therefore be coherent, strategic and firmly grounded in the long‑term interests of our citizens. Europeans cannot afford the cost of short‑sighted decisions.”
“Ainoa tapa neuvotella Venäjän kanssa on teoilla, näyttämällä, että Eurooppa pitää puolensa, rakentamalla yhteyksiä ja infrastruktuuria ilman Venäjää ja tukemalla demokratiaa ja kumppaneita. Vahvempi naapurusto tarkoittaa heikompaa Venäjää. Armenia on valinnut, Euroopan on vastattava. 2-0522-0000”
“Mr President, the Arctic is no longer a frozen periphery; it is the next great arena for geopolitical competition and Europe is just waking up. Russia has militarised its Arctic coastline. China calls itself a 'near-Arctic state' and invests in it. And the United States, our ally, is openly coercing Canada, Denmark and Greenland. Canada shares our vulnerability and our interests in the secured Arctic front line. We need a dedicated EU-Canada Arctic framework on security. It is not enough; we need space capabilities, joint situational awareness and we need a real investment. Ice-breaking capacities, logistics and infrastructure across the High North – we are talking about tens of billions of euro. The commitment should be at geostrategic scale. The Arctic will be defined by whoever shows up.”
“We can seek mutually beneficial agreements with India because it is, after all, a democracy that has values when it comes to diversity. Its motto is based on a version of our own. So I would strongly recommend that you stop living in a wishful fantasy world and start actually thinking about the brute realities of the current situation. 3-0341-0000”
“Mijn vraag aan u is: bent u het met mij eens dat we dit akkoord moeten gebruiken om ook harde garanties van India te verlangen, bijvoorbeeld dat het land christenen beter zal beschermen? 3-0339-0000 Mika Aaltola (PPE), blue-card answer. – I think that the current agreement and the negotiations are not as comprehensive as they would have been with Mercosur. They are relatively thin and relatively narrow, with many fields that are left uncovered. It seems that is the trend of the day. That's the thing that we're going to actually, in this relatively dusty House, achieve. So we cannot make India change its nature. What we can do is to think about our self-interest, think about European citizens, think about the communities and families in Europe.”
“The foreign trade agreement with India is about geopolitical leverage and about ensuring that while Russia attempts to fracture the West, we are building a fortress of trade with the world's largest democracy. We can either negotiate from a position of strength now or beg for better terms when our current dependencies fail us. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question) 3-0338-0000 Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR), “blauwe kaart”-vraag. – Collega, ik zie net als u de noodzaak en de wenselijkheid in van een handelsverdrag met India. Tegelijkertijd weten we ook dat er bezorgdheid heerst over de mensenrechten in India. Ik denk bijvoorbeeld aan de positie van religieuze minderheden en christenen en het feit dat er sprake is van antibekeringswetten in India.”
“Madam President, dear Vice-President Kaja Kallas, on this sad day, we have to look forward and focus on new partnerships. Enhancing ties with India is a strategic necessity. Let's stop pretending. The age of soft globalisation is dead – buried by Russian brutal aggression and Chinese and US unilateralism. We have learned the hard way that our dependency is not just a mistake; it may be a true economic suicide. If we don't diversify now, we are choosing to remain vulnerable to the next supply chain weaponisation. Realism demands we look at the map as it is, not as we wish it to be. India is a sovereign power that has its own interests, but their interests currently align with our necessities. They offer the demographic and industrial scale capable of breaking our addiction to more volatile markets.”
“Vastaus on, että se on yhdentekevää, sillä Eurooppa on valanut uuden turvallisuutensa peruskallioon, lakiin. Kaasusta irtautuminen, riippumattomuus raaka-aineesta, nämä eivät ole enää väliaikaisia aitoja, jotka poliittinen tuuli voi kaataa. Ne ovat muurin kaltaisia järjestelyjä. Me olemme tehneet Venäjä-riippuvuudesta laitonta Euroopan rakenteissa. Me seisomme nyt selkä seinää vasten. Emme voi enää tuudittautua valtameren takaiseen apuun. Kysymys kuuluu, alistummeko me pelinappuloiksi suurvaltojen pöydällä vai rakennammeko Euroopan, joka on vapaa, vahva ja taipumaton? Valinta on tehtävä nyt. 2-0035-0000”
“Suurvaltojen rynnistäessä ja jakaessa maailmaa etupiireihinsä emme saa jäädä jalkoihin. Meidän on välttämätöntä tukea demokraattisia elementtejä, myös vihollistemme alueella. Siihen tarvitsemme kilven lisäksi myös miekan. Ja tämä miekka komission ehdotuksesta vielä puuttuu. Meidän on jatkettava työtä päättäväisesti yhdessä, ilman pelkoa. 2-0090-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, the situation in Belarus continues to be a barbaric attack on democracy and freedom. Five years ago, people voted for change and their will was stolen by Lukashenko's fraudulent regime. Today, Belarus has become Moscow's vassal, complicit in Russia's war of aggression and even in the abduction of Ukrainian children to camps on its soil. These are crimes against humanity. Europe must not forget. We must defend democracy through consistent pressure, real accountability and support for those who still believe in free Belarus. Dictators must always know. Justice may be slow, but their doom will come. This is the only real deterrence and defence for democracy. 3-0108-0000 Spontane Wortmeldungen 3-0109-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner, at a time of profound geopolitical change, strengthening EU-India relations is a strategic imperative. If we have any strategic sense left, we will move towards that goal. India has been and should continue to be a counterweight to China. India – the world's fastest growing major economy, the largest democracy – is a natural partner in building resilience, diversifying trade and shaping a more balanced global order. The EU-India free trade agreement lies at the core of this effort. Yet, partnership cannot come at the expense of principles. India's continued engagement with Russia – a regime waging a war of aggression against a European state – must be addressed openly. A true partnership is built on trust, responsibility and a shared vision for global stability. 2-0505-0000”
“Mr President, dear Commissioner, at first glance, the new US-EU trade deal seems to be absurd. But it buys us something urgently needed ‑ predictability. Without it, Europe faced tariffs up to 30 % and loss of millions of jobs. Now, with average rate below 15 %, we bought time. Not comfort, but breathing space and transatlantic economic stability that has also important political ramifications. Yet let us be clear. The deal is a fragile one. President Trump's unpredictability makes it temporary at best. This means acting now. Times are difficult. We must turn today's instability in tomorrow's power. It is about Europe's place in a world where power, not rules, unfortunately, increasingly sets the terms. 3-0306-0000”
“Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, the EU-US trade ties sustain millions of livelihoods, but today they are under siege by the US Administration. President Trump's tariff blackmail is not a mere madman's negotiating tactic; they are economic disruption, signalling deep distrust and even hostility. The 10 % tariffs persist, and even that wounds our people. Let's be blunt: US trade policy is erratic, and the agreements that we can strike with them might be going away the next day. So can we actually trust or should we diversify? At the same time, we should also remember that the US faces certain geopolitical pressures and China is the key to that. We are also facing the same pressures. So negotiations based on the same strategic positioning might be helpful for both sides. 3-0306-0000”
“Meidän on ymmärrettävä, että EU ei ole pelkkä rauhanprojekti, vaan ytimessä on pelote, jonka pitää ylläpitää rauhaa. Epäröinnin aika on ohi. Meidän on toimittava – tarvittaessa myös ilman Yhdysvaltoja. 4-0072-0000”
“Madam President, High Representative Kallas, we in Europe made a fatal mistake. We started treating risk management as a foreign policy strategy. Playing it safe. Avoiding the necessary. Defeating Russia in Ukraine. Now we face the consequences. No real mobilisation, no clear plan. And the threats keep growing. When they strike, we won't manage the risks. The risks will manage us. This is a warning. This is why the EU must stop being a spectator. NATO is the backbone. Yes. But we must become the muscle. Enough of symbolic solidarity. We need deterrence, strength and readiness. We must stop fearing escalation more than defeat. This summit is not about alliance. It's about building deterrence. Europe must face what is coming with clarity, with courage and with steel in its spine. 3-0065-0000”
“Mr President, supporting Moldova is a strategic investment in Europe's security and future. We have to understand that it is a battleground. Right now, Moldova is facing quite a lot of problems. When I went there two weeks ago, I saw that it is torn. The pro-European forces are strong, but the dark side is present, and Moldova is a testing ground for different new methods for Russian destabilisation operations. The fight is ongoing, and it is a fight that we will see in our future if we don't solidify Moldova's defences against hybrid and destabilisation operations. I strongly support assisting Moldova on its European way. 2-0394-0000”
“Having them as an ally would be a great promise for the security of this continent. But are we just bluffing? Are we a continent missing in action? It is time to shed illusions and face fire. When the Nuremberg War Tribunals ended, they declared that a war of aggression is the supreme war crime. All the other war crimes follow from that: detention of civilians, stealing of children. And we must now face the aggressor. 1-0134-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, next year, American aid to Ukraine will evaporate; let's stop pretending. We face a brutal truth – Europe now must finally deliver on its promises or betray everything we claim to stand for. We are brilliant at slogans, we use soaring rhetoric, brave words, yet Ukraine bleeds. We have poured more cash into Putin's war machine for energy than goes into the fighting for Ukraine. We promised Ukraine EU fast-tracking, but when we look closer, are we keeping those promises? The grand announcement has been nothing but PR so far. Virtue signalling, a weak-kneed avoidance of the actual gut punch needed to defeat Russia. Consider this: Ukraine is Europe's breadbasket, it is the most war-experienced military in Europe, a nation forged in fire.”
“Madam President, in the Victory Day, the Russian and Chinese Presidents are sending a clear message to all of us – their strategy is working and the West is divided. The US is wavering, declaring that Russia is not an aggressor in the conflict, and accepting land grabs in Ukraine. For Putin, this war is not over. Victory day is about fear and dominance, and trans-Atlantic unity is weakening. He is preparing to extend the war in the region, ranging from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea, and all the way to the Arctic Sea. Europe is facing a turning point. If we fall again now and we hesitate, we invite more aggression, more war and the collapse of our security order, the collapse of the European project. We must build real deterrence. We must stand with Ukraine, not just in words, but in action. 3-0042-0000”
“Madam President, honourable Members, Greenland has the right to decide its own future freely and without foreign US interference. Denmark, with Europe, firmly rejects the return of neo-imperialist tactics that seek to pressure or exploit autonomous regions for strategic gain. This isn't just about Greenland: it is about international order. Decisions about Greenland's future belong to Nuuk, not to foreign capitals. Europe must stand together in this, and we need to develop a European strategy that takes the Greenlanders' ownership of their island seriously. 2-0359-0000”
“Mr President, honourable Members, the recent tariffs imposed by the United States strike at the heart of fair and open transatlantic trade. These measures are already hurting European industries, disrupting supply chains, and shaking investor and consumer confidence. The European Union has responded responsibly, suspending countermeasures for 90 days to allow for negotiations. But let me be clear: we shall not allow unfair treatment of our businesses or our citizens. If talks fail, we are ready to act – firmly and strategically. We have to communicate our resolve clearly: honey talking does not ultimately work with President Trump. This is not just about economics; it's about standing up for European interests and for our collective defence. Europe is open to dialogue, but not open to intimidation. 2-0080-0000”
“Madam President, well-functioning free media is democracy's beating heart, exposing corruption and amplifying the voiceless. But it is under siege, censored, silenced by anti-democratic forces and those who fear facts and fully informed citizens. Radio Free Europe has been a relentless beacon defying tyrants, delivering clarity to millions. Now the US Administration is killing it. We must fight and fund to protect its factuality and keep freedom's voice alive for the oppressed. Without the free press, there is no free society. Without honesty, democracy rots into demagogy and freedom of expression into hostile antagonism, fed by Russian actors. We can't let that happen. Let's fund Free Europe. 2-0464-0000”
“Mr President, two years ago, Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine demanded a unified European response. We declared a bold ambition to sever our dependency on Russian natural gas by 2027. Yet a stark reality reveals a troubling fact: we are falling short. Russian LNG imports into EU have increased recently, according to some reports. This is not merely a statistical anomaly; it is a strategic vulnerability. Exemptions for pipeline crude oil and the insidious refining loophole continue to funnel vital revenue into Russia. Let us be clear: we cannot credibly rearm Europe while our energy dependence fuels the very aggression we seek to deter. 3-0443-0000”
“Arvoisa puhemies, komission jäsen, tänään meillä on edessämme historiallinen mahdollisuus osoittaa oikeudenmukaisuutta ja päättäväisyyttä. Venäjä on hyökännyt Ukrainaan, rikkonut kansainvälistä oikeutta ja aiheuttanut mittaamatonta kärsimystä. Samaan aikaan Euroopassa lepää satoja miljardeja euroja Venäjän jäädytettyjä varoja – rahaa, joka on pysäytetty vastauksena tähän aggressioon. Varat on siirrettävä Ukrainalle. Rikoksista seuraa vastuu, ja kerätyt varat voivat auttaa jälleenrakentamaan tuhottuja kaupunkeja ja vahvistamaan Ukrainan puolustusta. Tämä taasen tuottaa Euroopalle turvallisuutta. Jotkut saattavat pelätä eskalaatiota, mutta päättämättömyys on se, mikä rohkaisee sitä. 3-0400-0000”
“Arvoisa puhemies, komission jäsen Kubilius, maailmalla yleistyy transaktionalistinen suurvaltatoiminta, pakottavan voiman diplomatia. Tehdyt linjaukset Euroopan varustautumisesta Venäjän varalle ovat sangen järkeviä. On aika aikuistua. Päätökset olisi ollut hyvä tehdä jo kolme vuotta sitten, mutta satsaamalla puolustukseen nyt voimme kolmen vuoden päästä ehkä huokaista helpotuksesta. Ukrainan vahvuus ja tuen jatkuminen on nähtävä Euroopan puolustuksen samanaikaisena synnyttämisenä. Liiallinen Amerikka-riippuvuuden karsiminen vaatii eurooppalaisten vaihtoehtojen kehittämistä. Tilanne, jossa noin 70 prosenttia kaikesta hankinnasta tehdään Yhdysvalloista, ei ole kestävä malli. Paljon kestävämpää on Euroopan teollisen kapasiteetin valjastaminen painavan pelotteen synnyttämiseen. 2-0444-0000”
“They jeopardise our societal security and I encourage the Commission's actions on securing our critical infrastructure with sensors. 4-0143-0000”
“Mr President, rising geopolitical tensions are leading to serious challenges to the European Union's technological security. At the heart of the issue is the infrastructure that supports essential services for our citizens. These systems are critical for the smooth functioning of our daily lives, yet they also create vulnerabilities and expose us to hostile enemy actions. The key to solving this security dilemma and shielding our democracies is, as always, knowing your enemy – those who show political and economic force, who ploy to harm us. For example, the Russian tactics of sabotage, specifically sabotage operations targeting our critical cables and undersea infrastructure, is something that we have to see. The consequence of these hybrid and cyber attacks are not hypothetical.”
“Lopuksi yhtälö on selvä: ilman vahvaa pohjolaa ja itää ei ole olemassa vakaata Eurooppaa. Kannamme painavaa geopoliittista taakkaa ja tämä vaatii EU:n resursseja ollakseen kestävällä pohjalla. 3-0332-0000”
“Veltolla Euroopalla ei ole roolia, kun päätämme itsestämme suurvaltarealismin ja neoimperialismin maailmassa. Jos Ukraina neutralisoidaan neuvottelupöydässä, kovat ajat vasta alkavat Euroopassa. (Puhuja suostui vastaamaan sinisen kortin kysymykseen) 2-0138-0000 Merja Kyllönen (The Left), blue-card question. – Dear colleague Aaltola, I just want to ask from you that today here we have spoken about the war for three years, but Russia took Crimea already in 2014. How do you see it? Were we really too slow to act at the first point? Because I think the start point was really when Russia took Crimea already in 2014, and it's more than 10 years now. 2-0139-0000 Mika Aaltola (PPE), blue-card answer. – Yes, you are quite right. We woke up too late, and back in 2014, we were still under the illusion that gas will produce peace. And it did not.”
“Arvoisa puhemies, Venäjä haki ennen brutaalia hyökkäyssotaansa suoraa neuvottelua Yhdysvaltojen kanssa Ukrainan neutralisoimisesta, pilkkomisesta ja laajasta etupiiristään Euroopassa. Tähän ei suostuttu. Tästä on pidettävä kiinni. Jos neuvotellaan, Venäjän on neuvoteltava lännen tukeman Ukrainan kanssa. Rauhaa voiman kautta. Venäjä ei ole terrorillaan saavuttanut tavoitteitaan. Se pyrkii nyt neuvottelupöydän kautta saamaan aikaan sen, mitä se ei ole sotilaallisesti saavuttanut. Euroopan on jatkettava Ukrainan tukemista, koska Venäjän hyökkäyssodan ratkaisusta tulee yksi keskeinen kulmakivi uudelle eurooppalaiselle järjestykselle tai epäjärjestykselle. Jos emme pysy tiukkoina ja satsaa myös omaan puolustukseemme, kukaan ei kuuntele meitä.”
“Madam President, the enemies are at our gates, and even inside. They are using different weapons and tactics to defeat and divide us. We must remember Winston Churchill's words at the ruins of the Second World War. He envisioned European integration as a geopolitical necessity to deter the Soviet Union and contain its ideology. As a geopolitical actor, we must invest in the European defence and security industries. This would complement NATO's efforts to fulfil its European mission. Some are asking where the financial resources come from. I will ask the counter‑question: where did the money disappear to when we were cashing in on the so-called peace dividend? In the economic stagnation and political decline into lazy ideas of peace through gas. 3-0163-0000”
“Venäjälle on lähetettävä selkeä viesti: jokainen sabotaasitoimi tekee sen merenkulusta Itämerellä entistä rajoitetumpaa ja vaikeampaa, sillä selkeästi kyseessä ei ole viaton kauttakulku. Varjolaivaston alukset on tunnistettava ja asetettava täysimääräisesti pakotteiden alaiseksi viipymättä. 2-0335-0000”
“Now we need to alter our approach radically. Our policies need to prioritise European geostrategic interests. 2-0246-0000”