A new public opinion poll in Finland shows that a majority of the country’s citizens believe it is not yet time to begin normalizing relations with Russia. According to a survey conducted by Taloustutkimus for the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, 67% of respondents (two out of three) hold this view. Of these, 38% completely disagree with starting normalization, while 29% somewhat disagree.
Twenty-six percent of those surveyed are ready to start the process now (8% completely agree, 18% somewhat agree). Another 7% were undecided. In the poll, “normalization” was defined as the future restoration of diplomatic, economic, and people-to-people ties between the countries to their previous level.
The survey was conducted on 28–29 October 2026. It involved 1,103 adult residents of mainland Finland (internet panel). The statistical margin of error is up to 3 percentage points in either direction. No significant differences were found across age groups: in all of them, a majority (60–75%) oppose starting normalization.
Taloustutkimus research director Tuomo Turja described the result as clear: “A clear majority believes that now is not the time to start such a process.” At the same time, he noted that he had expected even more negative attitudes, given Finns’ consistently strong support for Ukraine.
The poll was published against the backdrop of a recent phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with Russian President Vladimir Putin (27 October). Finnish leadership stressed that the call concerned the peace process regarding Ukraine and did not mean the start of bilateral normalization. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen also stated that Helsinki is not seeking to reopen bilateral ties with Moscow.
According to the same poll, a majority of Finns (about 75%) approved of Stubb’s call to Putin in the context of the Ukrainian peace process.
Attitudes toward normalization vary by party preference. The strongest opposition comes from supporters of the Greens (81%) and the National Coalition Party (78%), as well as the Social Democratic Party (74%). Among supporters of the Finns Party and the Left Alliance, the share ready to begin normalization is higher (around 30% and 27% respectively), yet a majority in these groups also remains opposed.
