Finnish leader: Trump has shaken Europe even more than Putin

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has stated that US President Donald Trump has had a greater impact on Europe than Russian President Vladimir Putin through his foreign policy.

“Trump has awakened Europe in foreign policy, while Putin has done so in security. If you look at NATO's defence spending, you can see that Europe is preparing for the worst because of Putin. At the same time, Trump has been quite successful in pressuring Europe to increase its defence spending,” Stubb told Finnish media.

The Finnish president also criticised Putin’s strategic efforts, calling them largely unsuccessful.

“This is perhaps the biggest strategic geopolitical failure in recent history,” he emphasised.

According to Stubb, none of Putin’s goals have been achieved. Instead, his actions have had the opposite effect: uniting Europe, expanding NATO with the inclusion of Finland and Sweden, and raising NATO defence spending from two to five per cent of GDP.

Stubb further noted that Putin’s attempts at territorial conquest have faltered.

“When it comes to territorial conquests, he has been trying to capture Ukraine's Donetsk region for 12 years, half of which he had already occupied before the war began,” he added.

By Tamilla Hasanova