Please join us for a Reuters NEXT Newsmaker with Finland Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen

Appointed as Finland's top diplomat just as the country finalized its historic NATO accession, Valtonen was immediately tested by a border crisis with Russia. Since then, she's reshaped Finland's foreign policy, forged a major defence pact with the U.S., and emerged as a leading voice in support of Ukraine. 

Praised across party lines, Valtonen is the current chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and travels extensively to advance Finland's strategic agenda. The former investment banker sits down with Reuters Helsinki bureau chief Anne Kauranen to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine, Europe's defence ambitions, and other pressing security challenges.