Finland’s President-elect Alexander Stubbe said on Monday that former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested last week that the United States would not protect NATO members from Russian attack unless they spent enough on defense, local media reported. Despite this, he said the country should remain calm.
The Nordic nation will remain a member of NATO following strong comments from President Trump, who warned NATO allies that he would “encourage” Russia to attack alliance members that do not meet its goal of spending 2% of its gross domestic product. At the press conference, Mr. Stubbe said that the focus should be on the defense of (GDP).
“I think it’s best at this stage to remain calm and focus on building NATO membership,” Stubbe said, adding that the U.S. election campaign “is very different from the Finnish election and the rhetoric used It’s quite powerful,” he added.
Mr Trump, who remains the Republican front-runner in the 2024 US presidential election, was widely criticized for his comments, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying the comments “undermine all of our security”. Stated.
Finland became NATO’s 31st member state in April last year, ending decades of military non-alignment as a result of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Stubbe, a pro-European and strong supporter of Ukraine, is scheduled to take office on March 1, replacing incumbent Sauli Niinistö, who is known for maintaining close ties with Russia.
“Until Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine, it will be very difficult to have a relationship with Russia,” said Stubb, who is known for his anti-Russian stance.
Stubbe, a former prime minister, defeated former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto in Sunday’s election to become the country’s 13th president. The election is widely considered to be the most historically significant, following Finland’s entry into NATO and its strong stance against Russia.
The country’s entry into NATO prompted a fierce reaction from the Kremlin, with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing the West of “dragging” Finland into the military alliance and creating a rift between Moscow and Helsinki.
In December, Finland closed its border with Russia, with Finnish authorities accusing Moscow of carrying out a “hybrid attack” and aiding illegal migrants to enter Northern Europe, a charge Russia denies.