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Finnish President Alexander Stubb dismissed fears of a direct Russian invasion of his country, citing Finland's robust defense capabilities, while also crediting former U. S. President Donald Trump for intensifying efforts to broker a peace deal in the war in Ukraine. Stubb’s remarks came during an interview on the sidelines of the U. N. General Assembly in New York, contrasting with warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about Russia's potential to expand its conflict beyond Ukraine.
Stubb told Fox News Digital that he believes the situation is "certainly in a better place than we were before President Trump started." He noted Trump had "doubled down in the past year and a half" to find a peaceful resolution, engaging negotiators such as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Stubb himself, along with Norway’s prime minister, has been involved in diplomatic efforts, working "in the back office" to relay information between Ukraine, the United States, and European governments.
Trump and Zelenskyy met in New York during the UNGA week as Washington continued its push for renewed negotiations with Moscow. Zelenskyy confirmed peace remained Ukraine's priority and thanked Trump for dispatching envoys to Kyiv after they had held discussions in Moscow.
Zelenskyy, however, sounded a stark warning about Russia's intentions. He told Fox News Digital that the risk of offensive operations by drones, missiles, or land forces is "very high against other countries who are bordering Russia or Belarus." The Ukrainian leader suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin, failing to achieve military objectives in Ukraine, might seek to destabilize other parts of Europe. This strategy, he argued, aims to pressure Western governments into reducing their support for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy pointed to recent drone incursions and disruptions across several European nations as evidence of Moscow's attempts to intimidate societies and test responses. His advice for European countries facing this escalating threat was direct: "Respond. Always respond. It's not about the war. If you don't respond, Russians, they will go further."
Stubb, as Finland's commander-in-chief, offered a calmer assessment regarding the possibility of a direct Russian attack on Finland, which shares Europe's longest border with Russia. "I just don't see a factual basis for it, " he stated, based on the information available to him.
He clarified that this calm outlook does not mean Moscow has ceased targeting Europe. Stubb differentiated between the "kinetic" war in Ukraine and a broader "hybrid" campaign Russia is waging across Europe. This campaign includes cyberattacks, sabotage, and damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. "Russia tries to intimidate Europe, scare us and get into our heads, " he said, advocating for a characteristically Finnish response: "cool, calm and collected, take a sauna and a nice bath and deal with it."
Finland, a nation of 5.6 million people, can maintain this attitude due to decades of preparation for potential threats from its eastern neighbor. "We are calm because we are prepared, " Stubb asserted. The country maintains mandatory military service, which Stubb and his son completed, and women volunteer for service. Finland's wartime military strength stands at 280,000 personnel, with additional reservists available.
The Finnish Defence Forces recently boosted its deterrent capabilities. Finland is acquiring 64 F-35A fighter jets to replace its existing F/A-18 Hornet fleet. The first two F-35s designated for operations within Finland arrived at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi on Sept. 18. Stubb highlighted Finland's extensive military assets, including long-range missiles for air, land, and sea, land mines, and what he described as the largest artillery in Europe, alongside Poland.
Beyond military hardware, Finland has civilian shelters capable of accommodating over 4.4 million people. Stubb joked that these capabilities were not for Sweden, but because "we see a security threat coming from Russia." He believes this level of preparedness, combined with Finland’s NATO membership, makes a direct Russian attack unlikely. Finland became NATO's 31st member on April 4, 2023, abandoning its long-standing military non-alignment after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"We feel that we're very prepared, and that gives us a strong enough … deterrent that we don't believe that Russia is going to test a country like Finland, " Stubb said, adding that NATO membership makes Finland a "security provider in the Alliance."
During his Sept. 22 address to the U. N. General Assembly, Stubb also advocated for continued support for Kyiv, calling the "Coalition of the Willing" supporting Ukraine "particularly close to my heart." He stated the coalition was working towards a "just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the U. N. Charter." Stubb also urged SpaceX owner Elon Musk to extend Starlink coverage to allow Ukrainian forces to target Russian ballistic missile launchers, including those inside Russia, which fire missiles at Ukrainian cities.
Stubb described Ukraine as just one element of an increasingly interconnected global security crisis. He agreed with Trump's call at the U. N. for countries to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, stating unequivocally, "Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons." He added that Tehran should not use proxies or produce missiles.
The Finnish President argued that conflicts involving Russia and Iran can no longer be viewed in isolation. He alleged that Moscow provides intelligence to Tehran, which Iran has used against U. S. military bases in the Gulf, while Iranian weapons have been supplied to Russia for use against Ukraine. "We're going in this merry-go-round where every bit of the conflict is linked to another, " Stubb said. "The sooner we can end both, the better."
Trump, in his Sept. 22 U. N. General Assembly address, called for Iran's economic isolation and reiterated that Tehran should not obtain a nuclear weapon, warning of further U. S. military action if a peace agreement is not reached. For Stubb, the proliferation of conflicts—from Ukraine and Iran to Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan—is testing a diplomatic system struggling to keep pace. "It's not a zero-sum game, " he observed. "We have to deal with a multiplicity of conflicts right now, unfortunately."
", "gist": "Finnish President Alexander Stubb dismissed fears of a direct Russian invasion of Finland, citing the nation's extensive military preparedness and NATO membership. He also credited Donald Trump with pushing harder for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine, despite warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about Russia's potential to expand the conflict." }
