Finland’s president warns of NATO’s greatest threat

During his visit to Belgium, Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized that Russia remains the greatest threat to NATO and Finland, both in Europe and beyond. 

Stubb pointed out that Russia is engaged in two simultaneous conflicts, i.e. one in Ukraine and another in the form of hybrid warfare, Caliber.Az reports via Finnish media.

After meeting with NATO’s new Secretary General, Mark Rutte, in Brussels, Stubb shared his views, with discussions also focusing on Finland’s role in NATO and continued support for Ukraine.

A coalition of 50 countries backing Ukraine, spearheaded by U.S. President Joe Biden, is set to convene in Ramstein, Germany, on October 12.

Rutte refrained from speculating about the terms of peace for Ukraine, stating that this decision rests solely with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He underscored that Russia has no veto power in this matter and stressed NATO’s responsibility to provide Ukraine with ongoing military support.

Stubb noted his frequent meetings with Zelenskyy, mentioning that the Ukrainian leader always presented a "wish list" of military needs. He urged countries assisting Ukraine to grant it full autonomy in deploying weapons, as the U.S. and UK have yet to permit Ukraine the use of long-range arms against targets deep within Russia.

Finland officially joined NATO as its 31st member on April 4, 2023.

By Tamilla Hasanova