The President of Finland proposed expanding the European Union from 27 to 40 countries

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has spoken in favor of a large-scale expansion of the European Union, proposing to increase the number of member states from the current 27 to 40. Additionally, the Finnish leader did not rule out the possibility of Canada joining the bloc.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to CNBC, Stubb noted that such a step could become an interesting alternative to the integration scenarios being discussed in North America. According to him, Canada could become a new member of the European Union rather than part of the United States.

The Finnish president emphasized that the EU needs to act more ambitiously and strengthen its position on the world stage. Among the states that could potentially join the European bloc, he named Turkey, Albania, Norway, Iceland, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, as well as countries formed after the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia.

Meanwhile, Germany takes a more cautious view of the prospects for further expansion of the community. According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine must maintain a clear European perspective, but counting on a swift accession to the EU is not yet feasible.

The German politician noted that the integration process could develop in stages through a gradual rapprochement between Kyiv and European institutions. At the same time, he stressed that full-fledged membership of Ukraine in the European Union appears unlikely in the near term.