Finnish President Alexander Stubb has dismissed warnings from European officials that Russia is preparing an imminent attack on NATO, stating his country’s intelligence shows no evidence of such a threat.
Stubb made the remarks during an interview at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, following several European leaders who recently warned Moscow could target NATO members within months.
“We don’t see the evidence of that,” Stubb said. “In our intelligence we see activity but no imminent military threat right now.”
He added it is “not in the interest of Russia nor in the capacity of Russia to go full-scale.”
Stubb’s assessment contrasts with statements from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who warned last week that Russia could fire drones or missiles into NATO countries supporting Ukraine within “the next few months.” French President Emmanuel Macron described Tusk’s warning as “sound and well-documented.”
Michal Koudelka, head of the Czech Republic’s BIS security service, similarly suggested possible Russian actions could include “a limited incursion, false-flag provocations, or a massive influence campaign,” predicting such scenarios might unfold within “months, not years.”
Stubb, whose nation shares a 1,340-km (833-mile) border with Russia, characterized predictions of imminent attacks as an “overreaction” and urged European leaders to remain “cool, calm, and collected.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently accused Western leaders of preparing for war with Russia to “salvage their declining ratings,” stating they ignore citizens’ clear desire to avoid conflict.
Finland joined NATO in 2023 after abandoning its longstanding policy of military non-alignment, following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Despite Stubb’s assurances of no imminent threat, Helsinki has continued expanding its defense and civil preparedness, recently conducting Europe’s largest civil-defense exercise since World War II with over 2,000 participants.
