We are not at war with Russia, - Stubb

“We are not at war with Russia,” said Finnish President Alexander Stubb, commenting on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement that both NATO and the EU had declared war on Russia over Ukraine.

The Finnish president believes that a carrot-and-stick approach is needed in relations with Russia, CNN reports.

“First we tried the carrot, and now President Trump is showing the stick. And I think the statement about shooting down planes is part of that,” he said.

Stubb was commenting on the recent agreement by US President Donald Trump that NATO countries can shoot down Russian planes in their airspace.

“I think this is a powerful deterrent coming from the President of the United States,” he added.

Stubb explained how to respond to airspace violations
The Finnish president noted that Russia is waging a conventional war against Ukraine and a hybrid war in the West.

Therefore, in situations involving Russian air provocations in EU and NATO countries, the main thing is not to react too violently.

“In such situations, we need to do two things: first, we remain calm. Second, we create defensive mechanisms to prevent this from happening again. The main thing here is not to react too violently,” he said.

Stubb was asked what his reaction would be to a violation of his country's airspace, in particular, whether he would order the drones to be shot down.

“No. We have protocols. So, basically, we check first, then we announce, and then the Air Force decides what should happen,” replied the Finnish president.

Commenting on some ideological differences between Europe and the US, Stubb noted common values.

“I am the president of Finland, so it is very important for me to find common ground with the president of the United States. I don't see red or blue, I see stars and stripes,” he said.

Photo: OP.