The Finnish President believes "Russia will not attack NATO"

According to a report by Reference News Network on September 1, the German newspaper Welt reported on August 29 that although Finland shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, Finnish President Alexander Stubb is not worried that Russia will start a war.

In an exclusive interview with the German newspaper Bild, Stubb dismissed the war warnings issued by Germany and called for a calm response to the hybrid attacks launched by Moscow.

The German Bundeswehr had warned that Putin could have the capability to strike NATO territory by 2029.

When discussing this topic, Stubb said, “If someone has a crystal ball, that would be great. But I have not seen evidence or facts indicating that he would do so. I do not believe Russia wants to attack NATO, the strongest military alliance in the world.”

Stubb also stated, “First of all, I have access to classified intelligence. Secondly, we have deterrence—and this deterrence is stronger than that of any other military power in the world.”

He said this deterrence is based on conventional armed forces, missiles, and nuclear weapons, “No major power in the world has any reason to test the resolve of this alliance.”

Stubb believes that Russia's current ability to escalate the war is very limited. He said, “The only way Russia can escalate the war is through mobilization. And I believe that mobilization will affect Russia's domestic politics.”

Stubb believes that Europe should still seek engagement with the Kremlin. He said, “I think Europe needs someone to restore dialogue with Russia to understand what is happening there. We must engage in political dialogue.” (Translated by Wang Qiang)