China will stop Russia from going nuclear, Finland’s Stubb says
The Finnish president said Beijing’s message provides “pretty good deterrence” against Moscow escalating the war in Ukraine.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated in an interview that China has privately assured Finland that it will not allow Russia to use nuclear weapons, according to Paul Ronzheimer of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network. Stubb emphasized that Beijing serves as a significant deterrent against Moscow escalating its war in Ukraine.
He revealed that he raised the issue with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to Helsinki in July, alongside discussions on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and European security. The Chinese Foreign Minister reportedly told Stubb that they "will never allow it to happen," which Stubb considers a valuable form of deterrence.
Stubb also argued that Russia benefits from keeping Europeans preoccupied with the possibility of nuclear escalation or a direct attack on NATO. He advised Europeans to remain calm, vigilant, and avoid dramatizing the situation while preparing for the worst to prevent it. Stubb downplayed fears of an immediate Russian attack on NATO, describing Moscow's actions as "teasing" rather than preparations for war.
He noted that Russia's troops are still engaged in Ukraine, while NATO's deterrence makes a direct attack highly unlikely. However, Stubb suggested that Europe should consider reopening direct political dialogue with Moscow to prevent misunderstandings, despite sharing a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia and having joined NATO after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Stubb emphasized that while Europe is not yet ready for such direct contact, it is crucial to open the discussion to avoid potential conflicts.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
