Finnish leader downplays fears of US pullback from Europe

Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Monday, May 11, called on European leaders to “calm down and lower the temperature” amid growing concerns over a potential reduction of the US military presence on the continent, stressing that Washington will not abandon NATO despite plans to withdraw troops from Germany.

In an interview with Corriere della Sera, cited by Politico, Stubb sought to ease rising alarm within the alliance following last week’s US announcement that it would pull 5,000 troops from Germany. The move comes after months of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to scale back America’s military footprint in Europe while accusing NATO allies of failing to support the United States during its war on Iran.

“The United States will not withdraw from Europe,” Stubb said. “If they want to project their power into regions like the Middle East, Asia, Africa, they need to have a solid foundation here.”

He added that while Europe is taking the right steps by increasing defence spending, it often weakens its own deterrence through alarmist public messaging. According to Stubb, the continent’s reaction risks amplifying insecurity rather than reinforcing stability.

The Finnish president also rejected the notion that Europe would be defenceless without US support. Referring to Finland’s long-standing military preparedness in relation to Russia, he said: “If we can defend ourselves, NATO can do it too.”

Stubb also signalled openness to renewed diplomatic engagement with Moscow, stating that “it’s time to start talking to Russia,” and confirmed that discussions are ongoing among European leaders regarding who could initiate contact with the Kremlin.

His position aligns him more closely with Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron, both of whom supported restarting dialogue with Russia earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on Monday rejected a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder could represent European countries in potential peace talks on Ukraine. Kallas described Schröder as a “high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies” who “would be sitting on both sides of the table.”

By Tamilla Hasanova