Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced his readiness to agree to recognize the State of Palestine, provided that his government submits an official proposal in this regard, expressing his stance on the unacceptable humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. This was stated in a post on the "X" platform on Thursday, where he noted that decisions by countries such as France, Canada, and Britain reinforce the trend towards recognizing Palestine, considering that this step is part of efforts to revive the peace process.

Stubb confirmed that recognizing a Palestinian state is a decision made by the head of state based on a proposal from the Cabinet, clarifying that if he receives this proposal, he will approve it. He also pointed out the existence of differing opinions and concerns within Finnish society regarding this issue, calling for an open and honest discussion on the subject. He explained that the far-right party "True Finns" and the "Christian Democrats" oppose recognizing Palestine, according to the French press agency.

On the other hand, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo renewed his country's support for a two-state solution on Friday, without clarifying whether the government would submit an official proposal for recognition, indicating ongoing consultations with the president until the United Nations General Assembly convenes next September. These statements come amid a growing international movement to recognize the State of Palestine, especially with the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has resulted in the deaths and injuries of more than 208,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian data.

In a related context, Portuguese media revealed on Thursday the country's intention to recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming session of the General Assembly, in a move similar to what countries like France, Canada, Britain, Malta, and Australia have announced. The recently held "Two-State Solution" conference in New York also called for granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations, instead of its current status as a "non-member observer state" since 2012.

Last week, 15 Western countries, including France, issued a collective call for recognizing the State of Palestine and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Spain, Norway, and Ireland also announced their official recognition of the State of Palestine last May, followed by Slovenia in June, bringing the total number of recognizing countries to 149 out of 193 UN member states.