On NATO’s front line, Finland’s president says his country is ready for a Russian attack, regardless of whether it has US support.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Alexander Stubb said in response to a question of whether the Finnish military can effectively defend itself against a Russian attack: “Yes, we can.”
He pointed to Finland’s mandatory conscription, which sets it apart from many other NATO members, and said that the country can mobilize 280,000 soldiers in a matter of weeks.
“We have the biggest artillery in Europe together with Poland. We have long-range missiles, land, sea, and air,” he added. He joked that Finland did not procure these because it was worried about allies like neighboring Sweden: “We don’t have this because we’re worried about Stockholm.”
For Finland, a relatively new NATO ally, the key security concern has long been Russia, with which it shares a roughly 800-mile border. The two fought bitter wars during World War II, though they have not engaged in armed conflict for decades.
Stubb also highlighted Finland’s air power, including its 62 F-18s and its recent purchase of 64 F-35s. Those are US-made aircraft, manufactured by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, respectively. To keep the aircraft operational, a certain degree of US support is needed. The Finnish president said he was confident that it would continue.
Speaking with the moderator at his Davos panel, he said: “Your next question is going to be, do they fly without Americans? No, they don’t. But do we trust that they will continue to fly because it’s in the interest of America to do so? Yes.”
Stubbs also said that Finland has the “biggest Arctic force in the alliance.”
Finland is one of NATO’s newest allies. It joined in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and it is one of many European countries warning that Russia could ignite a wider war in Europe. These concerns have been strongest among front-line allies, with the Baltic nations regularly calling for greater efforts to strengthen defenses.
Finland’s military was built with Russia as a threat in mind, giving it an edge that some other allies don’t have. It remains on guard. For instance, Stubb said Finland’s power also comes from its focus on civilian preparations.
“I think we also have to understand that you fight wars on the battlefield, but you win them at home.”
“That’s why we have civilian shelters for 4.4 million Fins. That’s why we have a security of supply where we don’t get into any kind of trouble with food shortages, energy shortages, or electricity grids.” He described this as a “capability that a lot of European states need to do.”
Still, he was bullish on European capabilities. “Can Europe defend itself? My answer is unequivocally, yes,” he said.
He was also optimistic about NATO relations despite new tensions over the US pursuit of the Danish territory of Greenland.
Asked if Europe needs the potential to defend itself against the US, he responded: “No. I mean, come on, let’s not push the hypotheticals here. Let’s get back to the reality of the situation and let’s put it back into perspective.”
He also rejected the idea that NATO could dissolve over these tensions, saying, “I think actually we’re in the process of creating a stronger NATO than we have seen since the end of the Cold War.”
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