'We are not in war with Russia': Stubb on Trump's remarks on shooting down Russian aircraft
Photo: President of Finland Alexander Stubb (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
In an interview with CNN, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Finland is not at war with Russia and that when it comes to Moscow’s air provocations, "the key here is not to overreact."
"We are not in war with Russia," Stubb said, commenting on the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that both NATO and the EU have declared war on Russia over Ukraine.
The President of Finland also believes that in relations with Russia, a "carrot and stick" approach is needed.
"In the beginning, we've tried the carrot. And now President Trump is showing the stick. And I think the statement on the shooting down airplanes is one of that part," he said.
The media outlet notes that in this way, Stubb commented on the recent agreement of White House head Donald Trump that NATO countries "may shoot down Russian aircraft in their airspace."
"I think this is a strong deterrent coming from the President of the United States," the politician added.
Stubb explained how to respond to airspace violations
The President of Finland noted that the Russian Federation is waging a conventional war with Ukraine and a hybrid one in the West.
Therefore, in situations of Russia’s air provocations in EU and NATO countries, the main thing is not to react too violently, Stubb believes.
"What we need to do in these kinds of situations is two things. One, we stay calm, and second, we make sure that we attribute when necessary, and build up defenses, so that it doesn't happen again . But the key here is not to overreact," he said.
Stubb’s reaction to a possible violation of Finland’s airspace
Also during the interview, CNN asked Stubb what his reaction would be to a violation of his country’s airspace, in particular, whether he would order drones to be shot down.
"No. We have protocols. So basically, what happens is that first, we verify, then we announce, and then the Air Force decides what needs to happen,” the President of Finland replied.
Commenting on some ideological differences between Europe and the United States, Stubb emphasized common values.
"I am the President of Finland, so for me it is very important to get along with the President of the United States. I don’t see red or blue, I see stars and stripes," he said.
As is known, in recent days, Trump responded that NATO countries may shoot down Russian aircraft in the event of a violation of their airspace.
At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Russian aircraft would be shot down in the US if they carried out attacks.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the decision to shoot down such aircraft would be made "based on intelligence about the level of threat."
