Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) said on Monday that Finland should discuss the possibility of sending old Hornet jets to Ukraine after they are decommissioned.
The PM was clarifying a similar statement she made last week during a visit to war-torn Ukraine.
While in Kyiv on Friday, Marin suggested that Finland could discuss the issue of handing over its decommissioned Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine once they are taken out of service and replaced.
However, her statements appeared to come as a surprise to other leaders in Finland, including President Sauli Niinistö and Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen (Cen).
Starting in 2025, Finland's Hornet fleet will be decommissioned and is expected to be fully phased out by around 2031. The ageing Hornets are to be gradually replaced with US-made F-35 jets.
During a break from campaigning in western Finland on Monday, Marin told reporters that she did not make any new offers to Ukraine during her visit.
Marin: Ukraine needs heavier weapons
"How will we be able to help [Ukraine]? The matter will be solved through cooperation with all parties involved in foreign and security affairs policy," she said.
The PM underscored that she has not offered a policy about the matter and that no one has promised to offer the fighter jets to Ukraine.
She said her statements in Kyiv were not new decisions or military aid promises, but rather about the possibility of starting a discussion in Finland regarding what to do with the country's old Hornet fighter fleet, once they are replaced.
According to Marin, the matter needs discussion now, because Ukraine needs heavier weapons to continue defending itself against Russia's invasion.
"It is clear that Ukraine needs even heavier equipment. And it's good that we were able to agree with partner countries about sending tanks [to Ukraine], and yes, the next big issue is fighter jets and air defence, more broadly," Marin told reporters.
President Niinistö told Yle on Monday that he discussed the Hornet fighter jet issue with Marin on Saturday.
"Finland has focused on Ukraine's immediate needs and requests, which were answered with [Finland's] 13th defence equipment aid package," Niinistö said, emphasising the importance of Finland's defence capabilities.
"Especially regarding the Hornets, the decisive factors are the requirements of our own defence. What happens to the Hornets after they are decommissioned is a different discussion" Niinistö told Yle by email.