As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Russia could take its war beyond Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb is striking a markedly calmer tone — saying Finland is prepared for Moscow and crediting President Donald Trump with pushing harder for a negotiated end to the war.
uncertain
Finland → warn → war
"I think we're certainly in a better place than we were before President Trump started," Stubb told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
asserted
Stubb → think → York
"He's doubled down in the past year and a half to try to find a solution for peace with negotiators such as Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and many others."
asserted
He → double → Witkoff
Stubb, who has been closely involved in the diplomatic effort, said he and Norway’s prime minister have worked largely "in the back office," relaying information among Ukraine, the United States and European governments.
asserted
he → involve → Ukraine
"I think he's really working hard and hopefully we'll get a solution," Stubb said.
asserted
Stubb → think → solution
The interview came during an intense diplomatic week in New York focused heavily on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
asserted
interview → come → Ukraine
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in New York during UNGA week as Washington continued its effort to revive negotiations with Moscow.
asserted
Washington → meet → Moscow
Zelenskyy said peace remained Ukraine's priority and thanked Trump for sending the two envoys to Kyiv after they had also held talks in Moscow.
asserted
they → say → Moscow
Zelenskyy was asked by Fox News Digital after the meeting about the possibility that Russia could invade or attack another European country in the near future.
uncertain
Russia → ask → future
"That's why the risk of offensive by drones, missiles or land operation is very high against other countries who are bordering Russia or Belarus," Zelenskyy said.
asserted
Zelenskyy → border → Russia
The Ukrainian leader argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin, unable to achieve his military objectives in Ukraine, could seek to create instability elsewhere in Europe to pressure Western governments into reducing their support for Kyiv.
uncertain
Putin → argue → Kyiv
He pointed to drone incursions and disruptions affecting several European countries, arguing that Moscow is already attempting to intimidate European societies and test their response.
asserted
Moscow → point → response
Asked by Fox News Digital what European countries should do in response to the growing threat, Zelenskyy offered a direct answer.
asserted
Zelenskyy → ask → answer
If you don't respond, Russians, they will go further," he said.
asserted
he → respond → ?
But Stubb struck a notably calmer tone when asked about Zelenskyy’s warnings that Russia could eventually attack other European countries, including Finland, which shares the longest border with Russia.
uncertain
which → strike → Russia
"As commander-in-chief in Finland, I sit on all the relevant information and I just don't see a factual basis for it," Stubb said.
asserted
Stubb → sit → it
That does not mean, he stressed, that Moscow has stopped targeting Europe.
asserted
Moscow → mean → Europe
Stubb distinguished between the "kinetic" war Russia is fighting in Ukraine and what he described as a broader "hybrid" campaign in Europe, pointing to cyberattacks, sabotage and damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.
"We have to see this as a campaign," he said.
asserted
he → distinguish → campaign
Russia tries to intimidate Europe, scare us and get into our heads."
asserted
Russia → try → heads
His prescription was characteristically Finnish: "cool, calm and collected, take a sauna and a nice bath and deal with it."
asserted
prescription → take → it
Stubb said Finland, a country with a population of 5.6 million, can afford that attitude precisely because it has spent decades preparing for a potential threat from its eastern neighbor.
asserted
it → say → neighbor
"We are calm because we are prepared," he said.
asserted
he → prepare → ?
He pointed to Finland’s mandatory military service, reserve force, artillery, long-range capabilities and extensive network of civilian shelters.
asserted
He → point → shelters
The Finnish Defence Forces puts Finland’s wartime military strength at 280,000 personnel, with additional reservists available if needed.
asserted
reservists → put → personnel
That deterrent received another boost just days before Stubb traveled to New York.
asserted
Stubb → receive → York
Finland is acquiring 64 F-35A fighter jets to replace its F/A-18 Hornet fleet under a procurement decision announced by the Finnish government.
asserted
Finland → acquire → government
The first two F-35s intended for operations inside Finland arrived at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi on Sept. 18, according to a Finnish Defence Forces press release.
"
uncertain
F-35s → intend → release
We have obligatory military service.
asserted
We → have → service
I did mine, my son did his.
asserted
son → do → his
We have women who do it voluntarily.
asserted
who → have → it
We have over 60 F-18s.
asserted
We → have → F-18s
We just bought 64 F-35s, the two first of which arrived.
asserted
two → buy → which
We have long-range missiles, air, land and sea.
asserted
We → have → missiles
We have the capability to mobilize 280,000 troops within days in a conflictual situation.
asserted
We → have → situation
On top of that, we have land mines.
asserted
we → have → mines
And we have the biggest artillery in Europe together with Poland…
asserted
we → have → Poland
On top of that, we have civilian shelters for over 4.4 million people out of 5.6.
asserted
we → have → 5.6
"
"We don't have them because we're worried about Sweden," Stubb joked of Finland’s military capabilities.
asserted
Stubb → have → capabilities
"We have them because we see a security threat coming from Russia."
asserted
we → have → Russia
He said that level of preparedness, combined with Finland’s NATO membership, makes a direct Russian attack unlikely.
asserted
attack → say → membership
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
