Finnish President Alexander Stubb does not believe statements about Russia’s plans to attack NATO countries, including the Baltic states. This came in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
“Why should Russia reverse this move if it fails to occupy Ukraine within four years?” – He said.
According to Staub, Ukraine is “in a better position on the battlefield than at any time since the start of the war.” He believes that hybrid actions — cyberattacks and sabotage — by Russia against NATO countries “will always exist,” but he does not believe in real military action.
“People just need to calm down. I understand the public debate, but I see all the intelligence reports, I study them very carefully, and I have a comprehensive assessment of the defense capabilities of a country like Finland,” he said.
Staub added that, in his opinion, Europe should start a dialogue with Vladimir Putin.
“You can negotiate with the Russians only when they are not in a position of strength. We must do that with the Americans, but at the same time ask whether the current American foreign policy towards Russia and Ukraine is consistent with European interests. If not – and in some respects it is not – then we must be proactive. But we must do it constantly. Ideally, the first step should come from the European Union, and if that does not work, from the Eurotroika, that is, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. If that does not work, the president said. Finland: “If we achieve results, we will have to find another formula.”
He described the idea of a single negotiator with Russia for Europe as “overly simplistic.”
At the end of May, the head of European diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, said that possible negotiations with Moscow would discuss not only the Russian-Ukrainian war, but also more global issues related to European security. From its point of view, Europe can set conditions on Russia, including reducing the armed forces. The German government indicated that the window for dialogue is slowly opening between Russia and Europe regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war, but it will likely take months before negotiations begin.