Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that Russia’s plans in Ukraine have failed to achieve their objectives, delivering a blunt assessment of the conflict’s impact on Moscow.
“He wanted to make Ukraine Russian. It became European,” Stubb said, underlining the unexpected outcome of the invasion.
The Finnish leader also recalled Russia’s goals regarding NATO: “They wanted to prevent NATO expansion. Finland and Sweden joined the alliance.”
Stubb emphasized the dramatic changes in defense spending in response to Russian aggression: “They wanted to keep our defense spending low. Now it reaches up to 5 percent of GDP.”
Discussing the territorial dynamics of the war, Stubb noted significant shifts over the years:
- At the start of the war, Russia occupied 12 percent of Ukrainian territory.
- After 12 years, only 8 percent remains under Russian control.
- In the last two years, just 1 percent has changed hands.
He also highlighted Russian military losses: “In December alone, Ukraine killed 34,000 Russian soldiers. They have not been able to replace them.”
Concluding with a direct message to Moscow, Stubb said: “Keep doing what you’re doing, and ultimately, you will fail, and Ukraine will win this war.”
