Finnish presidential nominee Alexander Stubb stated on Thursday that NATO needs to become “more European”, emphasising the importance of his country’s partnership for the United States regardless of who would win the election.
Stubb pledged unconditional support for Ukraine and ruled out improving Finland’s relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin until the war is over. 55-year-old Stubb leads opinion polls ahead of Finland’s January 28 presidential election, which precedes this year’s presidential elections in Russia and the United States.
The former Finnish prime minister hopes to succeed Sauli Niinisto as president after the latter’s two six-year terms.
Relations between Helsinki and Moscow have deteriorated since the outbreak of war in Ukraine and after the country joined NATO last April. Stubb declared that he would lean towards the West if elected president saying it was “very important that we in Europe take care of our own defence.”
“So in that sense, I’m very much along the lines of the current Finnish president, Sauli Niinisto, who said that we need a more European NATO. I think the Americans will not leave us alone [on our own], but it’s always useful to be prepared in the situation whereby we have to take more responsibility for our own defence.”
Last month, Finland, an EU and NATO member, signed a defence co-operation deal with Washington giving the US military wide access through the Scandinavian country, which shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia.
Finland closed its border with Russia late last year to stop asylum seekers entering the country. The closure was due to end on January 15 but was extended this week until February 11.
Politically, there will be no relations with the president of Russia or with the Russian political leadership until they stop the war in Ukraine.
Stubb also made it clear that the current situation did not mean breaking diplomatic relations with Moscow.
“On a pragmatic level, obviously our border guards continue to cooperate and our diplomats continue to cooperate, but there is no Russian pillar of foreign policy.”
The latest poll, published by the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper on December 26, showed that 24% of respondents supported Stubb, while his main opponent, liberal Green Party member Pekka Haavisto, was backed by 22%.
A second round of elections in Finland is due to be held on February 11 if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.
